to ■ ■ C < _ 






^c^ c<xr <t<r: 
<?C' (cc:- <rc 

^:(<c:, CDC 

L . ■<e: -«: ' CI <r 

^ ^< ' cs <:. 
■<c<«c;^ CI: <: 






CcL 42. <r ec ^ci c«L^ 
fvc^ d cos: i_, ^ 

ace d ci^t ^^ 



Vr cc <1^'?^< 

" Cc CA:<K.d 1 



crc< — " 






Cac: C^tf <;■ 
<i* ■■<:._ ^'Af-. <«: 



7 C«r .-<: 

dice 

ex 



ST/-.' ccc::^ f 

'CTc c c <"- - 



LIBRA'^Y OF CUiMGRtSS. 



^n^^ ^ 



.jj^ h 






UNITED STATES in- a^::KI€A, 









<£ c 



L cc <: c^ <^ 
^^^- c: c c ^^- __-^, 

1 (-C 
^(f cc ^Clo 



- -. d. did ^ 

IC d 4 



dd c c 



0gr <: c^ <r 



•CI d cc: 3 
d O cc -- 

<: S-ccc ^ 

<::_.' d CC/- d 
di' dc:cc. <t 

^mZi ' <^ cc^ ..<L 
~ cc< d, 

_ <" Cc '<£ 

rcc( <s 



_lCCc ^ ' 

d^C< ^c 
^c*cc- ^^. «: 
do.cc ^^.^ c 






^ <^ c 

dec ^ 

': ^<| d 



' d'c: , 

- d<cc ^ 



-. ^», 




^^^^I 


■•■'-I 


■c:_ c^-v- \ 






^^i:: 




■<<::_^ 


; -c < <^ 


'««r. 


■• •<^,-<<- 


<ci;'' 


C 'f. <^ 


<i 


<^ ■ ' <.■ <- 



'c*:- 
•«:<: 





















c < 
c c 









C ^ ^ 

-^ C <r . 



<i-<^ <: 






:^ <^ <^ 

^ <: c 



^ ^7 <^ c 



« <: <: 





















Price Tfnrenty-FivG Gents. 




NEW YORK: 

HURST & CO., PUBLISHERS, 

122 Nassau Street. 



THE 



BOOK OF USEFUL RECEIPTS, 



MANUFACTURER'S GUIDE. 



CONTAIKINa 



INSTRUCTIONS IN PHOTOGRAPHING, ELECTROTYPING, TELE- 
GRAPHING, PRESERVING, GALVANIZING, DISTILLING, 
BAKING, COOKING, FARMING, ETC., ETC. 



PRESERVING ALL THAT IS VALUABLE IN OLD METHODS, SUPERADDED TO 

WHICH ARE RECEIPTS AND INSTRUCTIONS IN ALL THE 

RECENT IMPROVED WAYS. 



' l^ PROFESSOR JOHNSON. 






NEW YORK: 
HURST & CO., PUBLISHERS, 

122 Nassau Street. 



Entered, according to Act of Congrees, in the year 1877, l)y Hukst & Co., in tlie Office of the Librarian of 

Co&grefiB, at TVasliiiigtoii, D. C. 



/ ' 77 i 



CONTENTS. 



-^v- 

\g^ 



Apple-Bread » 26 

Apple-Snow 25 

Apples, To Color "While Grovring 31 

Awnings, To Make 'Waterproof 21 

Biiking-Powders 29 

Ballooning, The Art of 24 

Battery, To Make ! 29 

Beans, Baked 21 

Beef, To Cure 31 

Beef-Stew 28 

Beer, Common Small 20 

Beer, G inger 20 

Beer, Molasses 20 

Beer. Root 20 

Boer, Wliite Spruce 20 

Bengal Lights, To :Make 33 

B!ack-Lead, To Remove 20 

Black Silk, To Remove Gloss. 21 

Black, To Bye '.'. 33 

Black Tongue in Cattle 42 

Black Walnut, Polish for 37 

Blankets, To Clean 20 

Blue, Laundry 37 

Blue, To Dye 33 

Brains 17 

Brass Ornaments, To Clean 38 

Brass, The Art of Coloring 39 

Braea, To Bronze 15 

Brass, To Clean 20 

Bread, Apple 26 

Bi'cad, Boston Brown 17 

Bread, Salt Rising 16 

Breakfaat-Sha wl, To Crochet 22 

Bronze, Antique, To Make ., 26 

Bronze for Iron and Wood 36 

Bronze for !Medals, &c 30 

Bronze for Mortars.: , 30 

Bronze for Ornamental Work 36 

Bronee for Small Castings 21 

38jx)nze, for Statuary 36 

JBronae-Powder 36 

Bronze-Surface for Brass 36 

Brown, To Dye 33 

Boards, To Take Ink Out 38 

Bones, To Convert into Manure 31 

Borax, Remedial Uses of 27 

Box-Measures 26 

Burns 30 

Butter, To Color 37 

Cake, Chocolate 21 

Cake, Clove 28 

Cake, Coffee 25 

Cake, Fruit 21 

,Cak#, Jelly 28 



Cake, Quick or Republican 19 

Cake, Rai.sod 21 

Cake, Ryo 38 

Cakes, Sugar 21 

Calico, To Wash 21 

Candy, Peppermint 16 

Carpets, To Clean 16 

Castings, Defective 22 

Cast-iron, To Case-IIarden 23 

Cast-iron, To Preserve from Rust 18 

Catarrh, Cure for 19 

Catsup, Walnut 32 

Cement, Iron 60 

Cement, Japanese 60 

Cement, Jewelers' 60 

Cement, Peasley's 60 

Cement, Plumbers' CO 

Chair-Bottoms, To Restore 18 

Champagne, Ginger 19 

Changing Color of Liquids CO 

Chapped Lips 32 

Cheese, To Make 39 

Chemical Experiment 49 

Chestnut Pudding 35 

Cheque-Paper, To Make 41 

Chilblains 21 

Chocolate-Filling for Cakes 21 

Chocolate Frosting 21 

Chromos, To Mount 23 

Cider-Barrels, To Clean 21 

Cider-Wine 15 

Clock, Cheap, To Make 43 

Colors for Staining Marble 34 

Color.s, To Change in Roses 44 

Collars. To Starch 28 

Consumptives, Hints for 29 

Corn, To Prevent Biids from Taking 31 

Corn-Cribs, To Make Rat-Proof 33 

Cough-Mixture 16 

Cracked Heels, To Cure 42 

Crayon or Monochromatic Painting 48 

Cream-Cheese from Buttermilk 32 

Cream-Soda 20 

Crops, To Estimate 26 

Croup 23 

Defective Castings, Metal for 22 

Diorama, Portable, to Make 35 

Diphtheria, Cure for .- '...23 

Doughnuts Without Eggs 30 

Dyeing, Improved Methods of 33 

Ear-Ache, Cure for 30 

Easter Egg.s, To Dye 25 

Eggs of Pharaoh's Serpents, To Make 23 

Electric Telegraph, To Make and Work C5 



CONTENTS. 



Electro-Gilding 58 

Electrot J ping, Ai-t of 50 

Elt'otnitvpiiig from Portrait or Picture 59 

EU'ctroty ping on Ivory 15 

Engiaviug, Heliotjpe, Process of 24 

Files and Rasps, To Make 15 

Files and Hasps, To Re-Cut 33 

Fireproof Wash 35 

Floors, To Stiiin and Polish 27 

Flour, To Select 28 

Flowers. Preserving 29 

Freckle-Cure 37 

Freckles, To Remove 23 

Fresh Meat, To Dry 31 

Fruit Pudding 25 

Garden, Hanging 29 

Gingerbread 25 

Giugcrbread, Grandmother's 28 

Glass or Marble, To PoIiKh 34 

Glass, To Drill 21 

Glass, To Dye 15 

Glue, Fireproof.., 21 

Glue, Liquid 41 

Glue, Rice 17 

Glue, Waterproof 41 

Gold, Imitation, To Make 33 

Gold Ink 32 

Goo.sc, To Roast 22 

Grea.-sy Heels 42 

Green Dye 33 

Green Gold, To Make 23 

Ground Glass, Imitation of 20 

Gun.i, Artificial 38 

Guns, To Clean 22 

Guns, To Make 18 

Hair, To Keep from Falling Out 38 

Hair, To Weave 15 

Hanging Basket'*, To Make 16 

Hanging Garden 29 

Harvest Drink 20 

Head;u;he, Sick 23 

Heaves in Hoi'ses, To Cure 42 

Heliotype Engraving, Process of 24 

H<mey Vinegar GO 

Housework 23 

Ice-Cream 17 

Ice, Inflammable 60 

Ice, To Make 60 

Indelible Ink 40 

Ink, Permanent, for Marking Linen 41 

Ironclads, To Make 18 

Iron and Quinine, Syrup of 41 

Iron and Zinc, Syrup of 41 

Iron or Wood, To Bionze 36 

Iron Pots, To Mend 20 

1 Ivory, Artificial 5 

1 Ivory, To Etch on 15 

Japanese Paper Matches 47 

Jars, Covering for 15 

1 Jelly Rolls 25 

Kalsomining Ifi 

Kid Gloves, To Clean 21 

Laraposcope, To Make the 62 

I Land-Measuring 26 

. Lemon-Candy 16 

jlLcmon-Juice, To Preserve.. «... 16 



I 



Light Woods, To Color 23 

Lilac Dye 33 

Linen, To Gloss 21 

Liniment 30 

Liquid Colors, To Change '44 

Logs and Planks, To Prevent Splitting 33 

Lovage 33 

Lumber, Facts About 34 

Madder, Red, Dye 33 

Magic Copying-Paper 34 

Magic, Examples in 44 

!Magic Lantern, To Make 63 

Maimre, To ifake from Bones 31 

Map-Colors, To Make '. 34 

Map, Various 34 

Marble, Artificial 34 

ilarblc. Colors for Staining 35 

Marble or Glass, To Polish 34 

Marble, To Clean 34 

Marble, To Color 18 

Marble, To Cut and Polish 34 

Mca.sures, Honie-Made 26 

Medals, To Bronze 36 

Meerschaum. Imit:itinn 18 

Mice in Corn, To Prevent 31 

Microscope, To Make 4.5 

Mittens, Cloth 26 

Monochromatic Painting 48 

Moi'tars, To Bronze 36 

Moslem Oracle CO 

Mouse Trap, To Make 18 

Mucilage-Pocket 18 

Mucilage, Very Adhesive 25 

Muffin.s, Stale Bread 26 

Muffins, To :^Lake 26 

Mush, Oatmeal , 25 

Mushrooms, To Grow 30 

Muslhi, To Bleach 28 

>[ustard, Table 42 

Mutton, Shoulder of. Stewed 23 

Naphthalamine Colors for Printing on Fabrics.. 25 
Nickel-Plating ."58 

Oatmeal Gems 25 

Oatmeal Mush 25 

O.atmeal Pancakes 25 

Oatmeal Porridge 25 

Orange Dye 33 

Ornament for Rooms 30 

Ornamental Work, Bronze for 36 

Ointment, Sulphur 33 

Old Prints, To Clean 17 

Pa,ste, A Good 20 

Paste, Perpetiial 23 

Peppei-mint Candy 16 

Perpetual Equilibrium 44 

Phial, Tight 33 

Phosphate and Manganese, Syrup of 41 

Picture-Frames, To Make 24 

Pie-Crust 23 

Pink Red Dye 33 

Plants, House, To Keep 29 

Poisoning by Ivy 18 

Portable Diorama. To Make 35 

Portiait, To Electrotype 59 

Potato Pie-Crust 38 

Potato Pome 29 

Pot^ito Putr 25 

Potato Rot, Preventive 37 

Potato Salad 17 



CONTENTS. 



Tots. TrnTi, To Mend 20 

Piiddiii.s, Baked Indian 38 

Pudding, Cliustnut 35 

Pudding, Corn-Meal 23 

Pudding, Fruit ' 21 

Pudding, Giits 23 

Pudding. Tapioca 21 

Purple Dye 33 

Kaspben-y Cream 25 

llaspberry Vinegar 27 

Raspberry Wine 28 

Razor-Paper 40 

Razor-Strop.s, To Renovate 40 

Red Roaches, To Exterminate 17 

Rlionmatisin in Ilor.ses 41 

Rlicuniatisni, Remedy for 18 

Rhubarb, Coni])ound Tincture of 41 

Rhubarb, Sweet Tincture of 41 

Rice-Glue 17 

RiflcH, To Clean 22 

Roads, To Repair 40 

■Roa.st Pig n 

Roots. rirei>roof, Wash for 35 

Rooms, Ornaments for 30 

Ropes, To Tell the Strength of 28 

Rubber Boots, To Mend 35 

Rusty Ploughs, To Clean 42 

Salad, Cabbage 25 

Sdad, Potato 17 

Salmon Dye 33 

Sandpaper, To Make 35 

Sausage, To Make 31 

Scarlet Dye 33 

Scarlet-Fever 28 

Self-Turning Cross 62 

Shawl, Crape, To Clean 19 

Shirts and Collars, To Starch 38 

Shirts, To Starch 28 

Sign of the Cross, To Make 62 

Sign-Painter.s, Table for 22 

Silk, To Clean 16 

Silk, Transparencies on 30 

Silk, Wrinkled, To Renovate 21 

Silver Ink 32 

Silver-Plating 57 

Soap, A Useful 27 

Soap, Hard, To Make 19 

Solar Microscope, To Make 35 

Solder for Brazing Steel 23 

Soldering-Fluid 19 



Soluble Glaas 18 

Sore Mouth 42 

Sore Till oat 19 

Soup, Irish Potato 27 

Sponge, To Bleach. 19 

Steel, Burnt, To Restore 32 

Steel, Scaling 32 

Steel, To Remove Bluing From 32 

Steel, To Toughen 32 

Stone, Artificial 41 

Stone Facades, To Clean 41 

Stoves, To Mend Cracks in ^. ... 41 

Stoves, To Keep from Rusting 41 

Strawberry Shortcake 19 

Sugar, To Refine 41 

Sulphur, Flexible 41 

Summer Beverages 20 

Super-Phosphate, To Make 21 

Sweetbread, Boiled %i 

Tan, To Remove 32 

Terrapin, To Cook 32 

Tinning Fluid 19 

Tooth-Powder 32 

To Make a Liquid Boil Without Fire 49 

Transferring Pictures on Wood, Glass, ifec 61 

Tree of Lead, To Make 40 

Tree of Mars 42 

Trees, To Tell the Height 30 

Udders, To Remove Lumps in 15 

Varnish for Maps, Drawings, &c 20 

Varnish for White Woods 16 

Viuegnr, Honey 60 

Vitremania, Art of - 61 

Waffles, German 26 

Walls, Holes and Cracks, To Repair 18 

Walnut Catsup 13 

Warts, To Remove 23 

Wet Boots 20 

Whitewash 38 

Whitewash, A Brilliant 17 

Whitewash, Treasury 32 

Wine, Cider 15 

Wine, Wild-Grape 40 

Woodchuck, Tanning 18 

Wood, To Stain 38 

Wool, To Dye 38 

Writing-ink, Blue-Black 19 

Yellow Dye 33 



THE 



BOOK OF USEFUL RECEIPTS, 



AND 



MANUFACTURERS GUIDE. 



How To Weave Hair.— No hair should 
be wasted at all, not even the combings. 
They should be kept clean and laid away 
loosely in a paste-board box, without twist- 
inc! them about the lingers. 

Take a smooth board one ^nd a half or 
two feet long, and six or eight inches wide. 
Near one end drive three shingle nails in a 
row, the nails being half an inch apart, and 
the row running parallel with the end of 
the board. At the other end, opposite the 
middle nail, drive one nail ; wax three 
pieces of linen thread, tie them together at 
one end, and .about a quarter of an inch 
from this knot tie another. Now slip it 
over the nail that stands alone, then tie one 
to each of the three nails, drawing the 
thread pretty tight. Take the board in 
your lap, the three nails toward the right 
hand. Now take a bunch of hair, both 
ends evened, the size of a knitting needle, 
wet that end and put it under the thread 
nearest you, over the middle thread and 
under the last, then bring it back on the 
left side, reversing the order ; now push it 
lip close against the knot. 

Proceed in this way until the strip is as 
long as you want it. After it is dry it can 
be pushed together more closely. 

In making a switch or braid, it is not 
necessary that the hair should be placed 
with the same ends together that grew on 
the head ; but if the hair is pretty, and 
two or three curls are required, and one 
has time and patience, the hair can be 
placed properly. It can be determined 
which is the upper end by rubbing a hair 
endwise between the thumb and finger. 
The barbs on the hair point downward, 
and in rubbing, the upper end of the hair 
will work away from the motion of the 
thumb and finger. 

Covering for Jars. — A good water- 
proof paper for covering jars used in pre- 
serving, etc., may be made by brushing 
over the pa]ier with boiled linseed oil, and 
suspending it over a line until drj-. 

To Remove Ltimps in Udders.— Take 
poke-root and chop it up fine and beat it 
into pumice; take a teacupful and put in a 
quart of meal, and feed to a cow whose 
udder has lumps in it, and they are removed 
at once. Tlie remedy is infallible. 
Cider Wine. — The cider for this pur- 



pose should not be made \intil December, 
when it should be barreled and placed in 
a vault or cool cellar, and left to remain 
there until February or early in March, 
when it should be bottled, using cham- 
pagne bottles, well corked and wired; the 
cork should be driven down to an eight of 
an inch of the mouth, so that the wire can 
grasp it. Use good-sized copper wire, which 
will require only one passing over the cork 
provided it is well secured around the neck 
of the bottle. Then return the bottled 
cider to the cellar, laying the bottles on 
their sides, and it will keep for years. Ba 
sure that the bottles are thoroughly clean. 
This must be attended to just before the 
bottling begins. Some persons — and it in 
the method of the north Jersey "cham- 
pagne" cider-makers— filter the cider 
through sand before putting away m bar- 
rels. It is true this removes all sediment 
but we cannot perceive that it adds to the 
flavor or keeping qualities of the cider. 

To Dye Glass. — For pink, get some 
logwood and ammonia and boil them to- 
gether in water; for red, logwood and alum ; 
for blue, indipo blue; and all other colors 
that will dissolve. To keep the glass to- 
gether, dip it in a weak solution of gum 
water, or put some gum water in the dye. 

To Bronze Brass.— For bronzing the 

brass objects are first made warm, and 

washed in a hot solution of ammonium 

chloride, (sal-ammoniac,) and then placed 

over niglit in a tolerably diluted sohition 

of two parts cupric acetate, (verdigris,) and 

one part ammonium chloride in six parts 

of vinegar. The next morning they are 

taken out and washed. A bronze to be ab- 

plied with the brush is made by boiling 16 

parts amniinium carbonate and 16 parts 

cupric sulphate in 200 parts vinegar till 

the latter is almost entirely evaporated; 

then adding one part of oxalic acid, and 4 

parts of ammonium chloride dissolved in 

200 parts vinegar; the wliole is placed over 

the fire till it boils, then cooled, filtered, 

and preserved in well-stoppered bottles. 

Clean thoroughly the object to be bronzed, 

heat it, and apply the liquid with a fine 

brush. Alter giving it time to act, pour 

on boiling water, and rub with a dry oily 

cotton rag, and then with dry cotton, till 

every trace of the vinegar has disappeared. 



16 



KALSOSIIKIN. 



Kalscmiuinj:,— Eight pounds of wliithig 
and Gue-qnartur of a pound of white gln^ 
niuko the right proportions. Soak the glue 
over night in cold vater, and in the morning 
heat it till perfectly dissolved. Mix the 
whiting Avith hot water ; stir the two thor- 
ougly together, and have the wash of the 
consistence of thick cream. Apply warm 
■with a kalsomine brush, brushing it well in 
and finishing as yon go on. If warm skim 
milk is usetl instead of whiting, the glnemay 
bo omitted. Before the wash is applied, all 
crevices and holes should be stopped with 
plaster of parts mixed with water. If it is 
desirable to tint the walls, colors may be pro- 
curt d at any paint store and stirred into the 
kalsomine wash. If whitewash has been uswl 
upon the wall it must be scraped off before 
the kalsomine is put on. 

Yariiisll for Wllite Woods.— Dissolve three 
pounds of bleached shellac in one gallon of 
spirit of ^vine ; strain, and add one and one- 
half more gallons of spirit. If the shellac is 
pure and white, this will make a lieautifully 
clear covering for white wooden articles. 

To Clean Silk. — Mix together a quarter of 
a pound of soft-soap a teaspoonful of br.mdy 
and a pint of gin ; mix all well together and 
strain through a cloth. With a sponge or 
flannel, spread the mixture on each side the 
fiilk without creasing it ; wash it in two or 
three waters ; while damjj iron on the wrong 
side. This pi-ocess will restore silks to their 
newness and will not injure the most delicate 
color. 

Pre.served Lemon Juice. — To every pound 
of white sugar add the strained juice of four 
leinons. Grate the rinds and add them to 
the mixture. Preserve in glass cans. A ta- 
blespoont'ul will make a glass tumblerful of 
lemonade. 

Lemon or Pepernilnt Candy. — Boil a 
pound and a half of sugar in a half pint of 
water till it begins to candy round the sides; 
put in eight drops of essence. Pour it upon 
buttered paper and cut it with a knife. 

Salt-Rising: Bread.— Into a pint of fresh 
milk pour a pint of scalding water. Stir in 
smoothly, flour enough to make it a thick bat- 
ter, keep at a uniform temperature for about 
six hours, when it will rise and should be at 
once used. Sift into a bowl three quarts of 
flour, i^our in the yeast, add warm milk or 
■water to wet up all the flour, salt to taste, 
tnead lightly,put into j^ans, let it rise and then 
bake. Great care is needed at evei'v stage in 
making this bread ; the yeast should be used 
just when it passes from "the saccharine to the 
vinous fermentation, and before it gets the 
le.ist bit sour. Just at the same point the 
raised dough must be put into the oven. 
The dough should be as soft when put into 
the pans as it can be conveniently handled. 
Some kinds of flour will not make good salt- 
rising bread. The dish in which the yeast is 
stirred must be perfectly sweet or it will sour 
before it rises. There is no sweeter ct more 
■wholesome bread than this when it is skill- 
fully made. 



To M«ke Hang-iiig BaskclS.— Take hoop- 
skirt wire cut in pieees one foot long, tie with 
strong thread in the sliape of (ho figure 8, 
tie each together lintil tJii re arc 2S • then 
take l)road wire that is on the bottom of 
hoop-skirts and pass through, over and un- 
der alternately, where they are tied at top and 
bottom, fastening the ends firmly together 
For the bottom take a ring lor the center 
with 8 rings around it, a piece of plain wire 
round the outside. Take two pieces of th* 
heaviest wire, each 83 feet long for handles, 
tie at top and bottom of the basket, leaving 
one end long enough to go accross the bottom 
through the rings. The two handles will 
cross each other at the center of the luiddla 
ring, also Avhere they come together at tliu 
top, and will need a hock of large rotiud 
wire bent eai'h way to hang up by, paint red, 
and varnish ; i:)ut tin-foil round the threads 
as the gilt paper is soon spoiled by the moi.s- 
ture. Line the basket with fresh green mo.'- s; 
on this place bottles of water containing 
stems of ivy, partridge berry vine, and other 
creepers ; arrange groups c-f pressed ferns 
tastefully in different parts of the basket and 
cover the top carefully with moss. Fill the 
bottles every two or three days as the water 
evaporates, but do not empty them for fear 
of disturbing the roots. Bright red paint is 
prettier for wire baskets as it never rivals the 
green of the leaves and flashes out here and 
there from them in a very enlivening way. 
A basket thus prepared will flourish even in 
a north room where the temperature does not 
go below 32°. 

Cohgll Mixtures. — The following cough 
mixture was originally prt scribed by Dr. 
Physic, of Philadelphia. Mix together three 
table-spoonfuls of niola.sses, two table-spoon- 
fuls of vinegar, one tju-spoouful of antimo- 
nial wine, and forty drops of latidanum. 
Take a tea-spoonful whenever you cough, or 
every two hours. 

Another remedy in cases of cough, espec- 
ially where debility accompanies a cold, is 
to make an infusion of wild cherry bark. 
Put a small handful of the chipped bark into 
a quart pitcherful of cold water, and let it 
steep lor several hours. Take half a wine- 
glassful three times a day. The dose may be 
increased gradually to a full glass, but if any 
headache ensues, lessen or discontinue the 
dose. It does not suit all constitutions, but 
generally acts as a fine tonic. 

To Cleanse Carpets.— Put four table- 
spoonsful of ammonia to one bucketful of 
water, with soap, scrubbing-brrsh and cloth ; 
scrub and wash the carpet just as you 
would an unpainted floor, changing the wa- 
tei- frequently. Leave the windows open and 
t le carj^et will soon dry. In cities where 
bituminous coal is used carpets are scrubbed 
a ^ re .^larly as wooden floors, and with Lapp 
efi'jctg. Instead of tixking up a carj^et c->.^y 
six weeks during the winter, as some iu mud- 
dj-^ districts think necessary, a careful w ping 
every week of the carpet M'ith a mop M-rung 
from clean water will remove the dust ai:d 
brighten the colors. A thorough sweeping 
should proceed this wiping up. 



lOE-CBEASl. 



17 



Ice-Cream. — Talie a tin pail liolding a 
gallon, and fill it half full of sweet milk, 
cream and all. This -will bo sufficient for 
six or eight persons. Into this put about a 
toacupfnl of white sugar and three or four 
tablespoonfiils of extract of lemon. These 
quantities may be varied to suit the taste. 
If you want it very rich add a couple of eggs, 
well beaten, as for cake ; but ordinary stom- 
achs will find the milk and its cream sufS- 
ciantly rich. Then take a piece of ice and 
put it in a wooden pail and shave it with an 
axe, aiming to get it as fine as possible, 
though some of it may be as coarse as hickory- 
nuts. Fill the 2">ail two-thirds full of ice, and 
add about a quart of rock salt ; this is best, 
but fine salt will do. Stir it thoroughly and 
pour it into another dish, leaving a little in 
the bottom of the pail. Upon this set the 
tin pail and fill in the space firmly with the 
ice and salt, being careful not ta get any 
into the cream. In a very few minutes it 
will begin to freeze on the bottom and sides 
of the pail. It should bo stirred as it freezes, 
which will make it foamy somewhat, and of 
even temperature. In a little while you will 
have an article that may aj^pear upon the 
tea-table, and that is both enjoyable and re- 
freshing. 

To Make Rice Glue. — This useful ce- 
ment is raado by mixing rice-flour thoroughly 
with cold water, and then gently boiling it. 
It is beautifully white and transparent. 
Papers pasted together l)y means of this 
cement will sooner separate in their own sub- 
stance than at the joining, which makes it 
extremely useful in the preparation of curious 
paper articles, such as tea-trays, ladies' dress- 
ing-boxes, and other articles which require 
layers of paper to be cemented together. It 
is in every respect preferable to common 
paste made with wheat-flouv for almost every 
purpose to which that article is usually ap- 
" plied. It answers well, in particular, for 
pasting into books the copies of writings 
taken o.T by copying-machines on thin copy- 
ing paper. With this composition, made 
with a comparatively small quantity of water, 
that it may have a consistency similar to 
plastic clay models, busts, statues, bas-reliefs, 
and the lilce, may be formed. When dry the 
articles made of it are susceptible of a high 
polish ; they are also very durable. 

Potato Salad. — A most delicious dish 
may be made in the following manner : Cut 
eight or ten good-sized cold lioilod potatoes 
in very thin slices ; chop half a small onion 
and a good-sized apple very fine ; pick the 
leaves from a largo handful of green parsley, 
rinse and chop them. Spread a layer of the 
potato in a chopping-tray, sprinkle liberally 
with salt, then half the parsley, apple, and 
onion ; then the rest of the i^otato, moro salt, 
and the other half of the parslej-, apple, and 
onion. Pour over the whole a half cnp of 
the best sweet-oil or melted butter, and two 
thirds of a cup of vinegar. Mix the whole 
carefully, so as not to break the potatoes ; 
put in a deep dish, and garnish with parsley. 
Suitable for lunch or tea. 



Boston Bro-wn Bread. — Scald thorough- 
ly three pints of corn-meal, add a half pint 
of molasses and water or milk enough to 
make a thin batter ; into this stir a quart of 
sifted rye-meal (not rye-flour) in which two 
teaspoonfuls of yeast-powder have been 
mixed ; add salt, and do not have the dough 
very stiff. Put in a pudding-pan M'ith a tight 
cover ; set into a kettle of boiling water and 
boil three hours, renewing the water as fast 
as it wastes and keeping it constantly at 212 
degrees. If yeast is used to raise the bread 
instead of yeast-powder or soda and cream 
tartar, the dough must set till it begins to 
rise. Sour milk or buttermilk and soda may 
be used instead of yeast. Thus boiled or 
steamed it has no crust, and is a most deli- 
cious dish for a hungrj' man. 

Roast Pig. — Three or four weeks is the' 
right age to roast whole. Cut off the toes, ' 
leaving the skin long to wrap around the 
ends of the legs, and put it in cold water. 
Make a stuflSng of five or six powdered 
crackers, one tablespoonfnl of sage, two of 
Summer savory, one chopped onion, half a 
pint of cream, two eggs, pej^per and salt. 
Mix these together, and stew about fifteen 
minutes. Take the pig from the water, fill 
it with the staffing, and sew it up. Boil the 
liver and heart with five peppercorns, and 
chop fine for the gravy. Put the pig to roast 
with a pint of water and a tablesp, oonful of 
salt. When it begins to roast, flour it well 
and baste it with the drippings. Lake three 
hours. 

Brains. — To a cultivated appetite these 
are among the choicest jiarts of any animal. 
Brains should be soaked in water to remove 
all the blood from them; then Ihcy may be 
fried in butter till well done. A nice v ay of 
preparing them is to boil them m milk for 
about twenty minutes, pour oil the milk and 
pour over them vinegar. Cooked in this 
way they are as nice as pickled oysters, from 
which they can scarcely be told. 

A Brilliant "White-wasli. — Slake clean 
lumps of well-burned white lime. To five 
gallons of the wash thus made add a quarter 
of a pound of whiting, or of burnt alum pul- 
verized, half a pound of loaf-sugar, one quart 
and a half of rice flour made into a thin and 
well-boiled paste, and half a pound of white 
glue dissolved and boiled in water. Apply 
cold within doors, but warm outside. Thia 
will last many years. 

To Clean Old Prints. — Sponge them on 
both sides with clean M-ater, and then satu- 
rate them with the following mixture : j lb. 
chloride of lime, 2 oz. oxalic acid, and 1 qt. 
of water. Well sponge down with clean 
water, and a clean picture will be the result. 
On no account use (he above preparations on 
water colors, or prints colored by hand. 

To Exterminate Red Roaches. — Take 
flour of sulphur, half a pound ; j^otash, four 
otmces. Melt in an earthen pan over the 
fire ; pulverize, and make a strong solution 
in water, and sprinkle the i>laces which they 
frequent. ' 



18 



SOLUBIiE GLASS. 



Soluble Glass.— Take of pure sand, fif- 
teen parts, charcoal one part, and purified 
potash ten parts. Mix and heat iu a fire- 
proof melting-pot for five hours, or until the 
whole fuses uniformly. Take out the melted 
mass; and, when cold, powder it and dissolve 
it in boiling water. 

To Clean and Restore the Elasticity 
of Cane Chair-Bottoms. — Turn the chair 
bottom upward, tiud with hot water and 
f?ponge wash the cane ; work well, so that it 
is well soaked ; should it be dirty, use soap ; 
let it dry in the aii-, and it will be as tight 
and firm as new, provided none of the canes 
are broken. 

Remedy for Rheumatism.— Procure one 
pint of good alcohol ; add one pint of water ; 
make it sharp by adding red pepper pods of 
any kind, broken in small pieces. In twenty 
four hours it will be fit for use. Bathe the 
affected parts well and frequently, warming 
it iu by the stove, — the action of the heat 
being of great benefit. 

Imitation Meerschaum. — This can be 
carved like tne genuine article. Take com- 
mon potatoes peeled, and macerate them in 
water acidulated with eight per cent sul- 
phuric acid for thirty-six hours. Dry on 
blotting-paper, and for several days on plates 
of plaster of Paris in hot sand. The potatoes 
shoiild be strongly compressed while drying. 

A Cheap and GoodMouse-Trap.-Take 
the bowl of a clean clay pipe and fill it with 
cheese ; put it under the edge of a glass tum- 
bler in such a manner that a slight touch 
will cause the tumbler to slip ofi' — the bait 
and mouse of course underneath. This ar- 
rangement will catch more mice than any 
trap I ever saw, at the cost of one cent. 

Remedy for Poison by Ivy and Vines. 

— Dissolve sugar of lead — a bit the size of a 
hazleuut — in half a teacup of sweet milk or 
warm water. Apply as warm as can be 
easily borne with a soft, linty piece of linen 
rag. Three or four applications are suffici- 
ent to eff'ect a cure. If the poison is on the 
face and nearing the eyes or mouth, this as- 
tringent wash may be constantly applied. 

To Repair Cracks, Holes, &c., in 
Walls. — Equal parts of plaster of Paris and 
white sand — such as is used in most families 
for scouring purposes — mixed with water to 
a paste, a})plied immediately and smoothed 
■with a knife or flat piece of wood, will make 
the broken place '"as good as new.'' The 
mixture hardens very qiiickly, so it is best to 
prepare but a small quantity at a time. 

Preserving Cast-Iron from Rust. — 

The Englltih Mechanic says cast-iron may be 
best preserved from rust "by heating it till, 
if touched with flax it causes it to frizzle," 
and then plunging into a vat of mixed oil 
and grease. It is said that ''The oleaginous 
matter actually penetrates the pores and 
prevents oxidation for a very long time, 
while it does not prevent painting, if desira- 
ble, afterward." 



To Make Pocket Mucilage.— Boil one 

pound of the best white glue, and strain verj' 
clear ; boil also four ounces of isinglass, and 
mix the two together; place them ma water 
bath (glue-kettie; with half apo'.ind of white 
sugar, and evaporate till the liquid is quite 
thick, when it is poured into moulds, dried 
and cut into pieces of convenient size. This 
immediately dissolves in water and fastens 
paper very firmly. 

Gems or Iron-clads. — Stir Graham flour 
into soft, cold water, making a batter a trifle 
thicker than for griddle-cakes. Drop from 
a spoon into the cups of the bread-pans, 
which are already heated, and bake in a hot 
oven. Take them from the pan as soon as 
they are done and arrange them on plates, 
taking care that no weights rest on them to 
make them heavy. These, after standing 
two or three days, are made as good as new 
by dipphig in cold water and setting in a hot 
oven a few minutes, or steaming overboiling 
water. All cakes of this kind are lighter and 
more delicate by being beaten ten or fifteen 
minutes while mixing the batter, but it is not 
necessary in order to make good bread. 

To Color Marble. — Marble can be 
stained difierent colors by the following sub- 
stances : ]51ue, solution of litmus; green, 
wax colored with verdigris ; yellow, tincture 
of gamboge or turmeric ; red, tincture of al- 
kanet or dragon's blood ; crimson, alkanet 
in turpentine ; flesh, wax tinged with turpen- 
tine ; brown, tincture of logwood ; gold, 
equal parts of verdigris, sal ammoniac, and 
sulphate of zinc in fine powder. 

Woodchuck Tanning. — The best way to 
tan woodchuck-skins with the hair on is to 
sprinkle salt and alum on the hides, roll 
them up and let them lie until the salt is 
melted. To tan without the hair on, put 
the hides into a bucket of ashes and water, 
let it lie imtil the hair comes off fully, then 
take the hair off, then put it (the skin) into 
soft soap, let it lie there until the lye eats 
the flesh off, then take it out and rub it dry 
over a smoke. Then you have a hide that 
can't be beat for toughness. 

Walnut Catsup. — Early in June take 
the walnuts, while soft enough to beat to a 
paste, and to every hundred thus prepared 
add two quarts or one gallon of vinegar and 
a handful of salt. Let it stand eight days in 
a stone jar, stirring it frequently. Then 
strain the liquor into a tin saucepan, boil it, 
and skim it well; add to it ginger, horse- 
radish, mustard-seed, a few cloves or garlic, 
and a little black pepper ; let it boil up once, 
pour it into an earthen pan, and when cold 
bottle it, dividing the ingredients between 
each bottle. The white Malnut is best suit- 
ed for naaking cat.sup, but as that can not 
be procured in all districts of the country, 
the l)lack walnut may be used, if gathered 
while tender enough for the rind of the nut 
to be easily pierced by a pin. "Walnut catsup 
is regarded by many as indispensable to 
boiled fresh fish, and especially grateful to 
the palate in the spring of the year. 



OtJRE FOB O-TABHH. 



iQ 



Cure for Catarrh. — A medical authority 
asserts that the severest catarrh cold can be 
removed iu about tea hours by a mixture of 
carbolic acid, teu drops, tincture of iodine 
and chloroform, each 7-5 drops. A few drops 
of the mixture should be heated over a spirit 
lamp in a test tube, the end of which should 
be applied to the nostrils as volatilization is 
effected. The-operation should be repeated 
in about two minutes, when after the patient 
sneezes a number of times, the troublesome 
I symptoms rapidly disappear. 

Remedy for Sore Throat. — "Simple, 
cheap, and sure," is the verdict of one who 
has tried the following remedy for a sore 
throat. The necessary drugs are an ounce 
of camphorated oil and five cents' worth of 
chlorate of potash. Whenever any soreness 
appears in the throat, put the potash in half 
a tumbler of water, and with it gargle the 
throat thoroughly, then rub the neck thor- 
oughly with the camphorated oil at night 
before going to bed, and also pin around the 
throat a small strip of woollen flannel. 

Soldering and Tinning Fluids. — The 

following compounds are useful for soldering 
or tinning : Tin, one part muriatic acid, with 
as much zinc as it will dissolve ; add two parts 
of water and some sal ammoniac. Brass and 
copper, one pound muriatic acid, four ounces 
zinc, five ounces sal ammoniac. Zinc, one 
pound muriatic acid, and two ounces sal 
ammoniac with all the zinc ic will dissolve, 
and three pints of water. Iron, on© pound of 
muriatic acid, six ounces spei"m tallow, four 
ounces sal ammoniac. Gold and silver, one 
pound muriatic acid, eight ounces sperm tal- 
low, and eight ounces sal ammoniac. 

Quick or Republican Cake. — Beat the 
yolks of six eggs with three-quarters of a 
pound of sugar. Whip up the whites, and 
add them to the yolks. Cream half a pound 
of butter with haif a pound of flour and put 
the eggs with this. Then add the other half 
of flour, and beat it well. Add to this one 
teaspoonful of soda and one of cream of tar- 
tar, with a teacupful of cream or milk. Sea- 
son it with lemon, or anything you like. 
Have your cake-tin ready, hurry it into the 
oven, and bake quickly. This is an excel- 
lent cake, whether eaten as a pudding, with 
hot sauce, or otherwise. Some prefer using 
only half a teaspoonful of soda and five eggs. 
If you have sour milk, cream of tartar may 
be wholly dispensed with. 

Strawberry Shortcake. — With one 
quart of sifted flour mix thoroughly two 
teaspoonfnls of cream-tarter and one of 
soda, or the equivalent of these in baking- 
powder, rub in a bit of butter the size of an 
egg, add a little salt, and sweet milk enough 
to form a soft dough. Uoll half an inch 
thick, and bake in a shallow pan fifteen or 
twenty minutes ; have ready two quarts of 
fine fresh strawberries ; split the cake, place 
half the strawlierries between, and cover 
thickly with white sugar and cream ; put the 
o^her half on the top, and cover in the same 
way ; serve "=! soon as done. ^.^ 



To Bleach Sponge.— Wash first in weak 
muriatic acid, then in cold water; soak in 
weak sulphuric acid, wash in water again, 
and finally rinse iu rose-water. 

To Clean a Crape Shawl.— Wash it in 
warm suds made of Mhite soap dissolved ; 
rub the spots gently, so as not to injure the 
texture ; rinse in blue water and twice in 
clear lukewarm water, and pin it to dry. 

To make Hard Soap— Take six pounds 
of sal soda, six pounds grease, three and a 
half pounds new stone lime, four gallons 
soft water, half pound borax. Put soda, lime, 
and water, into an iron boiler; boil till all 
is dissolved. When well settled, pour off 
the clear lye, wash out the kettle, and put 
in the lye, grease, and borax; boil till it 
comes to soap, pour into tub to cool ; and 
when suflScently hard, cut into bars and put 
on boards to dry. This is very nice for 
washing white flannel and calico. 

To make Blue-Black "Writing Ink. — 
The following is recommended as giving an 
excellent blue-black ink: Aleppo galls, bru- 
ised, 4| ounces; bruised cloves, ] drachm; 
cold water, 40 ounces ; sulphate of iron, 1 h 
ounces ; sulphuric acid, '3'> minims ; sul- 
phate of indigo, in thin paste, ^ ounce. 

Place the galls with the cloves in a fifly- 
ounce bottle, pour upon them the water, 
and digest, shaking often, for a fortnight. 
Press and filter through paper into another 
fifty-ounce bottle. Next, put in the iron, 
dissolved completely and filtered, then the 
acid, and shake briskly. Lastly, add tha 
indigo, and thoroughly mix by shaking. 
Filter again through paper. No gum or su- 
gar is required, and on no account must the 
acid be omitted. 

Ginger Champagne.— To prepare sixty 
gallons for marketable purposes, the first 
process is to put fifty-eight gallons of cold 
water in a copper boiler and add to it 158 
pounds of the finest raw sugar and five pounds 
of bruised ginger. Let the mixture boil gent- 
ly for half an hour, taking care to remove 
all the scum which ri :es to the surface. Then 
draw out the liquor from the boiler and place 
it in coolers ; and after its temperature has 
been reduced to blood heat turn it into casks 
in which you have put thirty-six pounds of 
chopped raisins, six dozen of oranges, and 
six dozen of lemons sliced very thin. Add 
to the whole one quart of brewer's yeast, and 
let it ferment until it ceases to work. Now 
add one and a half gallons of proof spirits, 
and six ounces of isinglass, well dissolved in 
water, to refine the liquor. Stir this thor- 
oughly into the whole, and fisten up the 
cork for a month. Rack it o^Y and bottle it, 
and in a fortnight it is ready for use, but will 
keep for years if tightly corked. The pre- 
dominating flavor is ginger and champagne, 
whence its name. But if ginger is not rel- 
ished its use may be dispensed with, and 
eighteen dozen of oranges substituted, and 
it will then be orange champagne. Or three 
times the quantity of lemons may be added, 
and in that case the result will be lemon 
champagne. 



50^ 



CHEAP STTMMEB BEVEEaGES. 



Cheap Summer Beverages. 

The following /vre not only simple and 
cheaiD beverages, but are also very pleasant 
and healthful: — 

Common Small Beer. — Add to a pailful 

' of water a handful of hops, a pint of bran, 
half pint of molasses, a cup of yeast, and 
one large spoonful of sugar. 

Molasses Beer. — To six quarts of water, 
add two quarts of molasses, half a pint of 
yeast, two spoonfuls of cream tartar. Hav- 
ing stirred thoroughly add the grated peel 
of a lemon. Bottle after standing for twelve 
hours. 

( Harvest Drink. — Mingle together five 
gallons of pure water, half gallon molasses, 
one quart of vinegar, and two ounces of 
powdered ginger. This drink is very invig- 
orating, and is the same thing as "Western 
Cider,"' the recipe of which has been selling 
for a high price through the country. 

\ Ginger Beer. — To a pail half-filled with 
boiling water add one pint of molasses and 
two spoonfuls of ginger ; when well stirred, 
fill the pail with cold water, leaving room 
for one pint of yeast, which must not be put 
in until the preparation becomes lukewarm. 
Place it on a warm hearth for the night, and 
bottle in the morning. 

\ White Spruce Beer. — Mix together 
three pounds of loaf sugar, five gallons of 
water, a cup of good yeast, adding a small 
piece of lemon-peel, and enough of the es- 
sence of spruce to give it flavor. When 
fermented, preserve in close bottles. Mo- 
lasses or common brown sugar can be used, 
if necessary, instead of loaf, and the lemon- 
peel left out. Sometimes, when finable to 
obtain the essence of spruce, we have boiled 
down the twigs. This will be found a de- 
lightful home drink. 

Root Beer. — Mix together a small 
amount of sweet fern, sar.saparilla, winter- 
green, sassafras. Prince's pine, a:id spice- 
wood. Boil them with two or three ounces 
of hops and two or three raw potatoes, pared 
and sliced iu three or four gallons of water. 
After boiling five or six hours, strain off the 
liquor, and add to it common molasses in 
the proportion of one quart to three gallons 
of the beer. If it is too thick, diliite it with 
vv'ater. A half poi .nd of browned bread added 
to the liquor, will increase its richness. 

Cream Soda. — To one gallon of watei*, 
add five pounds of loaf sugar, one ounce Ep- 
som salts, one ounce cream tartar, and five 
ounces tartaric acid. Boil the preparation 
well, skimming off the refuse matter accu- 
mulating upon the surface. After cooling, 
set it away in bottles iu a cool place. When 
desiring soda drinks, put two or three table- 
spoonfuls of this syrup into a tumbler two- 
thirds full of water; and one-fourth of a 
'teaspoonful of super-carbonate of soda ; stir 
briskly, and the effervescence will be equal 
to that from fountain soda. The Epsom 
salts,cream of tartar, tartaric acid, and super- 
carbonate of soda, can be purchased for a 
small sum at any drug-store. 



To Mend Iron Pots.— Mix finely sifted 
lime with some white of an egg, till a thin 
kind of paste is formed, then add some iron 
filings. Apply this to the fracture, and the 
vessel will be found nearly as sound as 
ever. 

Varnisli for Maps, Drawings, &c. — Boil 
parchment cuttings in water, in a glazed 
earthen vessel, till they produce a very clear 
size ; strain it, and keep it, till wanted; then 
give the work two coats of the size, passing 
the brush quickly over the work so as not to 
disturb the colors. 

Imitation Ground Glass. — Dissolve 
90 grains of sandarac and 20 grains of mastic 
in 2 oz. of washed ether, and add, iu small 
quantities, a sufliciency of benzine to make 
it dry with a suitable grain — too litile making 
the varnish too transparent, and excess 
makes it crapej'. The quantity of benzine 
required depends ujDon its quality — from ^ 
oz. to li oz., or even more, but the best re- 
sults are got with a medium qualitj\ It is 
important to use washed ether, free from 
spirit. 

Wet Boots. — When boots are wet through 
do not drj' them by the fire. As soon as 
they are taken off, fill them quite full with 
dry oats. This gruin will rapidly absorb 
every vestige of damp from the wet leather. 
As it takes up the moisture it swells and fills 
the l(Oot like a tightly fitting last, keeping 
its form good, and drying the leather with- 
out hardening it. In the morning shake 
out the oats and hang them in a bag near 
the fire to dry, ready for use on another oc- 
casion. 

Good Paste. — Paste that will keep un- 
changed in warm weather may be made in 
the following manner : Put a teaspoonful 
of powdered alum in two qnai'ts of water,and 
let it boil. Mix a piut of flour smoothly 
into a pint of cold water, and stir it into the 
boiling alum-watei% continuing the boiling 
and stirring until the flour is cooked, and 
the whole is clear, like starcli. Add to this 
about half a teasjioonful of essential oil of 
cloves or cinnamon, strain through a wire 
gauze or perforated tin strainer, and bottle 
in wide-mouthed jars, which should be 
corked to keep out dust. 

To Remove Black Lead, — From pol- 
ished steel sides of a grate, first wash them 
with strong soap and water, using old flan- 
nel for the purpose; then rub them with 
sweet oil and rotten stone; polish in. the 
usual manner with soft leather. 

To Clean Blankets. —When soiled they 
should be washed, and not scoured. Shake 
the dust from them, plunge them into plen- 
ty of hot soap-suds, let them lie till the 
hands can be borne in the water, wash 
quickly, rinse in new clean hot suds, shake 
thoroughly, stretch well, dry, and they will 
be as nice as new 

To Clean Brass. — Eotten stone 2 oz., 
oxalic acid i oz., sweet oil | of an oz., tur- 
pentine enough to make a paste. Apply 
with a little water. 



BKOKZE rOE SMALL CASTLNGa. 



21 



Eron:::3 far Small Castings. — Fuse to- 
geiher !).') parts of copper by weight aud 3(J 
parts of tiu. 

To Drill Glass. — Moisten the tool with 
dilute su^)huric acid. This last is better 
than tnrpentiue. 

Chocolate Frosting. — Whites of three 
eggs, one and a half caps sngar,one teaspoou- 
ful of vauiUa, three heaj^ing teaspoonfiils of 
scraped chocolate. 

To Make Wrinkled Silk appear like 
New. — Sponge on the surface with a weak 
solution of gum-arabic of white glue, and 
iron on the wrong side. 

Good Fruit Cake. — Four cups flour, two 
of sugar, one of butter, four eggs, one half 
pound of raisins, one half pound of citron, 
one cup of milk, a small teaspoonful of soda. 

To Clean Black Kid Gloves.— Take 
a teaspoonful of salad oil, drop a few drops 
of ink in it, and rub it over the gloves with 
the tip of a feather ; then let them dry in 
the son. 

To niaks Awnings "Waterproof. — 
Plunge first into a solution containing 20 
per cent soap, and afterward in another so- 
lution containing the same percentage of 
copper. "Wash afterwards. 

Fireproof Glue.— A handful of quicklime, 
mixed in four ounces of linseed oil and 
boiled to a good thickness, makes, when 
spread on plates and hardened, a glue which 
can be used in the ordinary way, but will re- 
sist fire. 

To Remove the Gloss from Black 
Silk. — When this gloss is caused by con- 
stant wear, moisten the silk with a sponge, 
lay a damp cloth over it, and pass a hot iron 
quickly over the cloth several times till it 
is quite dry. 

Raised Cake. — Five cups of flour, one 
of butter, one-half cup of yeast, three cups 
of milk. E,ub the butter into the flour, add 
milk and yeast, and set it to rise ; when risen, 
work in the sugar, add spice to taste ; when 
raised, put in with a fork one cup of floured 
raisins. 

To V/ash Calico without Fading. — 
Infuse 3 gills of salt in 4 quarts of water. 
Put in the calico while the solution is hot, 
and leave until the latter is cokl. It is said 
that in this way the colors are rendered 
permanent and will not fade by subsequent 
washing. 

Sugar Cakes. — One pint dry flour, one- 
half a pint of butter, one half of sugar, mix 
the flour and sugar, rub in the butter, add 
an egg beaten with enough milk to moisten 
the whole ; roll thin and bake in a quick 
oven. These recipes are for those who have 
few eggs or none. 

To Put a Gloss on Linen.— Add to the 
starch a little sugar or white wax or butter, 
iron in the usual way. Then pass a damp 
cloth over the linen, lay it on a smooth 
board, and polish with a ))olishing-iron made 
for the purpose and sold in house-furnishing 
stores for about a dollar. 



Cure for Chilblains. — Glycerine, one 
ounce ; carbolic acid, one-half a dram ; mix 
and apply night and morning. If the sufler- 
ing is severe, soak the feet every night in a 
tea made of white oak bark. This remedy 
is said to be infallible. 

To Clean Cider Barrels. — Pour in lime 
water, and then insert a trace chain through 
the bung hole, remembering to fasten a 
strong cord on the chain so as to pull it out 
again. Shake the barrel until all the mold 
inside is rubbed oS". Einse with water, and 
finally pour in a little whisky. 

To Bake Beans. — Pick them over care- 
fully, soak them over night in plenty of 
water, in the morning parboil till soft, then 
skim them out into an earthen pot, salt (o 
taste, cover with water, score a piece of fat 
salt pork, put in the top of the pot, cover 
the whole with a tight tin cover or a crust of 
pie paste, and bake slowly six hours. 

Tapioca Pudding. — Dis.solve a teacnpful 
of tapioca in a quart of water over night. 
In the morning pour off the water, and boil 
it in a quart of milk, with two teacupfuls of 
sugar. Pare and core eight apples, filling 
the opening with a lump of sugar and a bit 
of cinnamon ; put in a baking-dish and pour 
the tapioca over them. Bake two hours; 
serve cold. 

Chocolate Cake.— Two cups of powdered 
sugar, one cup of butter mixed with the su- 
gar until it is a perfect cream, then add the 
yolks of five eggs and the whites of three 
beaten to a stiff froth ; one cup of milk, one 
half teaspoonful soda, one teaspoonfid cream 
tartar, three and a half cups of sifted flour. 

Chocolate Filling for the Cake.— One 
half cake of Baker's chocolate grated fine, 
one cup of sugar, one egg, milk enough to 
moisten, let all boil together nntil quite 
thick, flavor with vanilla and spread while 
hot between the cakes, which should bo 
baked in jelly pans. 

Fruit Pudding. — Chop six apples fine, 
grate six ounces of stale bread, add six 
ounces of brown sugar, six ounces of cur- 
rants, washed carefully and floured. Mix 
all well together with six ounces of butter, 
a cup of milk and two cups of flour in which 
two teaspoonfuls of baking-powder have been 
thoroughly mixed. Spice to taste. If nec- 
essary add more milk in mixing. Put in a 
pudding bag, tie loosely, and boil three 
hours. This pudding should be eaten with 
cream sauce. 

To Make Super-Phosphate.— Get all 
the bones you can find. Put into a wide 
wooden trough 500 or 1,000 pounds at a 
time ; tako pure sulphuric acid, (GO deg. 
quality,) at the rate of two carboys to a ton 
of bones. Mix half and half with warm 
water, and apply directly over the bones. 
Sj^rinkle ovesthe top with dirt; allow them 
to remain a day or two, and uncovering, tho 
bones will fall to pieces at the slightest touch. 
Spread out on the floor to dry, and yon will 
have a super-phosphate better than can be 
boucrht, _, — ■ 



"v. 



28 



TO CLEAN GUKS AKD EIFLES. 



' To Clean Guns and Rifles. — Guns and 
rifles may be easily cleaned from lead by the 
following : If a muzzle-loader, stop up the 
nipple or communication-hole with a little 
■wax, or if a breach-loader insert a cork in 
the breach rather tightly ; next pour some 
quicksilver into the barrel, and put another 
cork iu the muzzle, then proceed to roll it 
lip and down the barrel, shaking it about 
for a few minutes. The mercury and the 
lead will form an amalgam, and leave the 
barrel as clean and free from lead as the first 
day it came out of the shop. The same 
quicksilver can be used repeatedly by strain- 
ing it through wash-leather ; for the lead will 
be left behind in the leather, and the qiaick- 
eilver will be again fit for use. 

To Color Light "Woods. — Light woods 
may be dyed by immersion. A fine crimson 
is made as follows : Take one pound of 
ground Brazil, boil in three quarts of water, 
add one-half ounce of cochineal, and boil an- 
other half hour ; may be improved by wash- 
ing the wood previously with one-half ounce 
satfron to one quart of water; the wood 
should be pear wood or sycamore. Purple 
satin : One pound logwood chips, soak iu 
three quarts of water, boil well an hour ; 
add four ounces pearl-ash, two ounces pow- 
dered indigo. Black may be produced by 
copperas and nut-galls, or by japanning with 
two coats of black jnpan, after which, var- 
nish, or polish, or use size and lamjiblack 
previous to laying on japan. A blue stain : 
One pound of oil of vitriol put in a glass 
bottle with four ounces indigo, lay on the 
same as black. A fine green : Three pints 
of the strongest vinegar, four ounces best 
powdered verdigris, (poison.) one-half ounce 
sap-green, one-half ounce indigo. A bright 
yellow may be stained with aloes ; the whole 
may be varnished or polished. 

To Crochet a Ereakfa.st Shawl. — 
Make a chain corresponding in length to the 
desii-ed size of the shawl around the neck. 
Crochet a row of double stitch on this chain, 
putting a stitch iu each loop of the chain. 
Between the first and second stiches of this 
row attach three double stitches; between 
the fourth and fifth, three ; between the 
seventh and eighth, three. Continue in the 
same manner until the middle of the chain 
is reached, where six stitches should be 
made. The last half of the row is to bo 
crocheted like the first half. The work will 
now appear divided, into clusters of three 
stitches each. For tho next row crochet 
three stitches between the first and second 
stitches of the first cluster, three after it and 
every succeeding cluster, six between the 
two clusters' that mark (he middle, and three 
between the last two stitches of the last clus- 
ter. Each x-emaining row to be worked in 
the same manner, taking care always to work 
one cluster between the two stitches at each 
end of the row, and two clusters exactly in 
the middle. Vvldencd in this way the bottom 
of the shawl will describe tho two equal 
sides of the right-angled triangle. 



Table for Sign Painters, or others 
vrho have occasion to make Letter- 
ing. — Supposing the height of the capital 
letters to be ten, the widths are as follows : 
B, F, P, ten: A, C, E, D, G, H, K, N.O, 
Q, R, T, V, X, and Y. eleven : I, five : J, 
eight : S and L, nine : M and W, seventeen : 
Z and &, twelve : Numerals : 1 equals five • 
2, 3, f), 7, 8, nine : 4, eleven : C, 9, 0, ten. 
Lower cijse letters (height six and a half) : 
"Width : a, b, d, k, p, q, x, and z, seven and 
a half: c, e, o, s, seven : f, i, j, 1, t, three : g, 
h, n, u, eight : m, thirteen : r, v, y, six : w, 
ten. 

To Roast a Goose. — Ijet the bird be 
about eight months old, and killed at least 
twenty-four hours before it is cooked. The 
fatter it is the better. Remove every piu 
feather, singe carefully, draw and take away* 
everything not eatable from the neck and 
body. All the loose fat should be removed 
and tried out by itself. Take the neck, 
middle joint of the wings, liver, heart, and 
gizzard, and stew them together gently for 
several hours. They will make a nice pie. 
For the stufiing take two large ouions chop- 
ped fine, a tablespoonful of pulverized sage, 
a teaspoonful of black pepper, and two tea- 
spoonfuls of salt, adding a little crumbled 
bread. Goose is strong food, and requires 
strong dressing. AVhen the body of the 
bird is stuSed, close the opening to keep the 
steam in and the fat out. Put butter or a 
slice of fat pork on the breast when the 
goose is put in the oven, but do not put any 
water in the dripping-pan. Bake two hours, 
basting every 20 or ">0 mimites with the fat 
in the pan. When the goose is done remove 
from the pan, pour off the fiit rnd set it 
away, add to (he brown gravy in the pan the 
gravy from the giblets, bring (he whole (o a 
boil and serve. Apple sauce and onion 
sauce are proper accompaniments to roast 
goose. 

Recipes for Bleaching Muslin. — For 
every five pounds dissolve twelve ounces 
chloride of lime in a small quantity of soft 
boiling water. "When cold strain into it 
enough water to cover the goods. Boil them 
fifteen minutes in strong soap-suds, wring 
out in clear cold water, then put the goods 
into the chloride of lime solution from ten 
to thirty minxites, with frequent airings ; 
rinse well and dry the goods ; then scald in 
clear soft water and dry. An excellent 
bleaching fluid is made by boiling together 
one gallon of water, two ounces of pearlash, 
two ounces salts of tartar, and a quarter of a 
pound of hard soap. One pint of this mix- 
ture is to be put into one tub of clothes, 
which should bo soaked over night and 
■washed as usual (he next day. Those who 
have plenty of sour milk may ]>leach mus-lin 
in the following manner: Boil (hick sour 
milk, strain it into a stone pot, and then put 
in whatever is to be bleached ; let it remain 
there a few days, turning and airing it thrice 
a day, wring out, wash in cold soft water, 
and spread in the hot sun. Repeat the pro- 
cess if necessary. 



TO MAKE GKEEN GOLD. 



23 



To make Green Gold. — Melt together 
niueteen grains pure gold and five grains 
pure silver. Tlie metal thus prepared has a 
beautiful green shade. 

To Remove Freckles. — Talce a pint of 
sour milk, and a small quantity of horserad- 
ish. Let the mixture stand over night, and 
use it as a wash three times a day until the 
freckles disappear. 

Metal for Defective Castings. — Lead 
9 parts, antimony 2 parts, and bismuth 1 
part, is an alloy which expands on cooling, 
and which will be found useful in filling 
small defects in iron casting, &o. 

Sick Headache. — Two teaspoonfuls of 
finely-powdered charcoal, drank in a hair 
tumbler of water, Mill often give relief to 
sick headache, when caused, as in most 
cases it is, by a superabuudance of acid on 
the stomach. 

To Remove Warts. — Dr. Guttceit re- 
commends rubbing warts, night and morn- 
ing, with a moistened piece of muriate of 
ammonia. They soften and dwindle away, 
leaving no such white mark as follows their 
dispersion with lunar caustic. 

Solder for Brazing Steel. — Very use- 
ful in case of a valve-stem or other light por- 
tion breaking when it is important that the 
engine should continue work for some time 
longer: Silver I 'J parts, copper I part, 
brass 2 parts. If practicable, charcoal-dust 
should be strewed over the melted metal of 
the crucible. 

Corumeal Pudding. — Two pints meal, 
one pint grated bread, one of molasses, one 
of brown sugar, one of sour milk, two table- 
spoonfuls butter, a half teaspoonful of gin- 
ger and two of cinnamon, three eggs, half a 
teaspoonful soda; slice soft, jucy apples, and 
add one teacupful, if liked ; bake half an 
hour. Sauce — cream and sugar. 

To Case Harden Small Cast-Iron 
"Work. — Make a mixture of equal parts of 
pulverized prussiate of potash, saltpetre, and 
sal ammoniac. The articles must be heated 
to a dull red, then rolled in this powder, and 
afterward plunged in a bath of 4 ounces of 
sal ammoniac and 2 ounces of prussiate of 
potash dissolved in a ^illon of water. 

House'work Hints — If stove-polish is 
mixed with very strong soapsuds, the lustre 
appears immediately, and the dust of the 
polish does not fly around as it usually does. 
Dry paint is removed by dipping a swab with 
a handle in a strong solution of oxalic acid. 
It softens at once. Water lime applied with 
ft dry, soft cloth, will give glass a nice, clear 
cast. 

Curing Croup. — Cronp can be cured in 
one minute, and the remedy is simply alum 
and sugar. The way to accomplish the deed 
is to take a knife and gi-ate or shave off in 
small particles about a teaspoonful of alum, 
then mix it with twice its quantity of sugar 
to make it palatable, and administer it as 
quickly as possible. Almost instantaneous 
relief will follow. 



Grits Pudding •with Apples. — Take 
ten apples, pared and quartered, cover the 
bottom of yoiiv pudding-dish, sprinkle a littl* 
sugar and grate a little nutmeg over them ; 
cover this with well-boiled grits, sei soned 
with butter (as for breakfast;, then another 
layer of apples, and so on until the dish is 
full. Bake until the apples are well done, 
and eat with sweet cream. Good cold or hot. 

Boiled Sweetbreads. — The best way to 
cook sweetbreads is to boil them thus : Par- 
boil them, and then put them on a clean 
gridiron for broiling ; when delicately 
browned take them otf and roll in melted 
butter in a plate to prevent their being dry 
and hard. Some cook them on a griddle, 
well buttered, turning frequently ; and some 
put narrow strips of fat salt pork on them 
while cooking. 

Stewed Shoulder of Mutton. — The 
shoulder must not be too fat. Bone it, tie it 
up in a cloth, and boil it for two hours and a 
half. Take up, put a little cold butter over 
it and strew it thickly with bread-crumbs, 
parsley and thyme, pepper and salt, all prop- 
erly mixed. Let it be in the oven half an 
hour, so that it may be perfectly browned. 
Serve it with lumps of currant jelly on the 
top and gravy or spinach round the di.sh. 

Pie-Crust. — The most healthy pie-crust 
is made of thin sweet cream and flour, with 
a little salt. Don't knead this. Bake in a 
quick oven. Another way is, sift a quart or 
two of flour in the pan. Stir in the centra 
a little salt and half a tecspoouful of soda 
well pulverized. Now put in the hole a cup 
of soft (not liquid) lard, orbuttterand hird 
mixed ; stir it thoroughly with the flour ; 
next add two scant cups of good sour milk 
or buttermilk. Stir all quickly with the 
flour, in such a way that you need hardly 
touch it with your hands till you can roll it 
out. Bake quick. This will make three or 
four pies. 

To make Imitation Gold. — The fol- 
lowing recipes for metals resembling gold 
are said to produce a metal which will so 
nearly approximate the genuine as almost to 
defy detection, without a resort to thorough 
tests : Fus'.'. together with saltpetre, sal am- 
moniac, and powdered charcoal, 4 parts 
platinum, 2^ parts pure copper, 1 part pur^ 
zine, 2 parts block tin, and ^k parts pure 
lead. Another good recipe calls for 2 parts 
platinum, 1 part silver, and 3 parts copper. 

To make Perpetual Paste — which will 
remain sweet for a year — dissolve a teaspoon- 
ful of alum in a quart of water, to which add 
sufiBcient flour to make a thick cream. Stir 
in half a teaspoonful of powdered resin and 
half a dozen cloves, to give a pleasant odor. 
Have on the fire a teacup of boiling water, 
pour the flour mixture into it, stirring well 
at the time. In a few minutes it will be of 
the consistence of mush. Pour it into an 
earthen vessel ; let it cool ; lay a cover on, 
and put it in a cool place. When needed 
for use, take out a poxtion and soften it with 
warm water. 



24 



TO MAE3 SIIIPLE AXD PRETTY FEAMES. 



To Make Simple and Pretty Frames. 
Leuf pictiue-fraines, if neatly uiaJe, aie buit- 
able tor cheap prints that oue may desire to 
frame without the expense of u glass even. 
Take a piece of plaueii Loard of the size re- 
quired, bind the edges with any fancy paper, 
attach the screws and coril, paste the picture 
ou very solidly, excluding all air, and hang 
it np to dry. Then take pressed autumn 
leaves of all sizes and shapes and arrange 
tastefully about the margin, fastening them 
■with gum arable or flour paste, pressing them 
down carefully from base to point. Most of 
the steius will have to be removed, as they 
are in the way and do not stick well. Hang 
np again until quite dry — which will proba- 
bly be the next day — then neatly brush the 
whole, leaves, picture and all, with white 
varnish. 

' To Mount Chromos. — Take common 
bleached muslin (heavily starched is best), 
make a thick flour paste, cook till clear, then 
strain. Saturate the cloth with the paste, 
lay the chrumo on the cloth face up ; turn 
over and smooth out all the wrinkles and 
air-putis. Have a stretch-frame prepared of 
the proper size made of |-inch soft wood, 
niitered and well nailed. Lay the chromo 
on the frame — back on frame. Commence 
in centre of frame and drive a tack on each 
side, drawing the chromo moderately tiglit. 
Then alternate from side to side, driving 
a tack on each side. 1 .j inches from last tack, 
drawing the canvas gently (but not too tight), 
both sidewise and endwise of the frarhe — 
this olniates the difficulty of puckering on 
the corners. The end is not so particular, 
only to draw quite tight. If it is not smooth 
when first finished, it will be all right Mhen 
it dries. You can then varnish with best 
■white varnish after it is dry. 

To make the Eggs of Pharaoh's Ser- 
pents. — These are little cones of sulphocy- 
anide of mercury, which, when lighted, give 
forth a long, serpent-like, yellowish brown 
body. Prep re nitrate of mercury by dis- 
solving red precipitate in strong nitric acid, 
as long as it is taken up. Prepare also sul- 
phocyanide of ammonium by mixing 1 vol- 
ume sulphide of carbon, 4 strong solution 
of ammonia, aiul four alcohol. This mixture 
is to be frequently shaken. In the course 
of about two hours, the disulphide will have 
been dissolved, forming a dee^D red solution. 
Boil this until the red color disappears and 
the solution becomes of a light yellow color. 
This is to be evaporated at about SO degrees 
Fah., until it crystalizes. Add little by lit- 
tle the sulphocyanide to the mercurysolution. 
The sulphocyanide of mercury will precipi- 
tate : the supernatant liquid maybe poured 
olf. and the mass made into cones of about 
half an inch in height. The powder of the 
Bulpho'-yaiiide is very irritating to the air- 
passages, and the vapor from the burning 
conesshiiuM be avoided as much as possible. 
To ignite them set them on a plate or the 
like, and light them at the apes of the 
coue. 



The Art of Ballooning.— The lifting 
strain of a balloon is principally ou (he net. 
If a balloon will stand inflation, it is safe in 
mid-air. In winter, the atmosphere is 
warmer one mile above the clouds than it is 
at the earth's surface. The weight of a bal- 
loon to carry one man, including net and 
basket, should not exceed SO lbs. A cotton 
balloon will last for about sixty ascensions. 
A balloon thirty feet iu diameter undergoes 
a strain of 1 5^ lbs. to the square foot of sur- 
face. Gas, which at the earth fills the bag 
only half full, will, at an elevation of Sh 
miles, expand so as to fill it completely. 
One thousand feet of coal gas will raise 08 
lbs. Gas which gives a poor light is the 
best for aerostatics. Kites can be used to 
steer balloons by sending them up or lower- 
ing them into currents of air travelling in 
different directions from that in which the 
balloon is sailing. 

The Heliotype Process of Engrav- 
ing. — Ordinary gelatine is di.s.«olved in warm 
water, and a sufficient quantity of bi-chro- 
mate of potash is added to render it sensitive 
to light, and of alum to make it very hard 
and durable. This solution is poured on a 
level plate, previously rubbed over with wax, 
and is dried by means of heat. As soon as 
dry, or when required for use, the sheet of 
gelatine is stripped from the plate, and 
printed under a photograjihic negative. 
When the picture appears sufficiently plain, 
the sheet of gelatine is taken from under the 
negative, and by atmospheric pressure made 
to adhere to a metal plate. The sheet of 
gelatine and the metal plate are put together 
under water ; as much of the water as possi- 
ble is got rid of from between the two sur- 
faces, the gelatine absorbs the remainder, so 
that a vacuum is created, and the picture is 
thus attached to the plate by the pressure of 
the atmosphere. The superlluous chemicals 
are soaked out with water ; and the plate, 
with the printing surface of gelatine attached, 
is placed on an ordinary platen printing- 
press, and inked up with ordinary ink. 

In printing, it is necessar\' occasionally to 
dampen the plate with water. A mask of 
paper is used to secure white margins for the 
prints; the impression is then pulled, and is 
ready for issue. Two or more inks are 
sometimes used in the production of one pic- 
ture, as it is found that where the light has 
acted deeply a stiff ink is required, but where 
it has acted not so deeply — that is, in the 
half tones — a thinner ink may be used. £0 
that a stiff ink is first used for the shadows, 
and a thinner ink afterward for the half-tones. 
In this manner three or four inks may be 
used-in printing one impression. The effect 
of India or other colored tint is obtained by 
using, instead of ordinary M'ater for dampen- 
ing the plate, water with some color in it. 
The paper absorbs a certain amount of water 
from the plate, and with it a certain amount 
of color. The ordinary rollers are not found 
to be satisfactory, and a mixture of gelatine, 
glycerine, and castor-oil is used. 



NICE GINGEKBKEAD. 



25 



Nice Gingerbread. — One cup of mo- 
lasses; one cup of thick, rich cream ; onetea- 
fipoonfnl of saleratus mixed with the cream; 
one teaspoonfiil ginger, one well-beaten egg, 
with a little salt. Bake in a quick oven. 

Potato Puff. —Two cups of cold, mashed 
potatoes ; stir in two tablespoonfuls of 
melted butter, hefitiiig to a cream ; add two 
well-beaten eggs, one cup of cream or milk ; 
ponr into a deep dish. Bake in a quick 
oven. 

Jelly Rolls. — Take three eggs, half a 
cup of sugar, a cup or flour, a teaspoonful 
of soda, or, in lieu of the soda and creara 
tartar, one and a half teaspoonfuls of baking- 
powder ; bake in thin cakes; spread with 
jelly, and roll up with the jelly side in ; cut 
iu slices across the roll. 

Oatmeal Porridge. — Make a pudding o 
oatmeal so thin that it can be poured from 
the spider; let it cook slowly for a short 
time; and, instead of boiling the milk with 
it as we do iu corn-meal or flour porridge, 
drop the pudding with a spoon into each 
one's bowl ot cold, rich milk. 

Coffee Cake. — One and a half cups of 
sugar, one cup of molasses, one cup of 
butter, one cup of coffee, three eggs, one 
teaspoonful of soda, live and u half cups of 
flour, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, and nut- 
meg. The raisins to be stoned and rubbed 
in a little of the flour before being added to 
the mixture. 

Oatmeal Pancakes. — Stir into four cup- 
fuls of cold water a teaspoonful of salt.a large 
handfid of Graham flour and oatmeal till you 
have a thin batter. Bake at once on a very 
hot griddle. We think the Graham flour 
improves the pancakes, as they are more 
easily turned and not quite so dry as when 
oatmeal only is used. "When preferred, one 
cup of water ca7i \)'i left out, using instead of 
it a cupful of buttermilk and a teaspoonful 
of soda. 

Raspberry Cream. — Rub a quart of 
raspberries, or raspberry-jam, through a 
hair sieve, to take out the seeds; then mix 
it well with creara, and sweeten with sugar 
to taste ; put it into a stone jug, and raise a 
froth with a chocolate-mill; as the froth 
rises take it off with a spoon, and lay it up- 
on a hair sieve. When you have got as 
much froth as yon want, put what cream re- 
mains into a deep China dish, or punch-bowl, 
and pour frothed cream upon it, as high as 
it will lie on. 

Fruit Pudding. — Make a crust of Graham 
flour, sour cream, soda, and a pinch of salt. 
Pass the flour through a coarse sieve, so as 
to relieve it of the larger bits of bran. For 
a family of six persons line a quart basin 
with the crust, a quarter of an inch thick. 
Fill the basin thus lined, with fruit— plums 
or peaches are best. Let the fruit be of the 
choicest variety. Cover the whole with a 
rather thick crust, and steam until the crust 
is thoroughly cooked. Serve v.'ith white 
sugar and thick sweet cream. 



Very Adhesive Mucilage. — The addi- 
tion of a solution of 30 grains of crystallized 
sulphate of alumina in 300 grains of water, 
to a solution of I0.')() grains of gum arabic in 
202.") grains of water, affords a mucilage that 
will fasten lightly sized paper, printing- 
paper, &c., or wood to wood, paper to 
metal, &c. 

Oatmeal Gems. — Take three and one- 
half ciipfuls of cokl water, a teaspoonful of 
salt, and enough oainieal to make the batter 
about as thick as iov pancakes. Let it stand 
a few minutes; then fill the gem-irons nearly 
fall and bake about twenty minutes in a very 
hot oven, or a .small dripping-pan can be 
used instead of the irons. 

Dyeing Easter-Eggs.— In Paris, where 
more than a million of these eggs are sold 
during the season, the red ones, M'hich are 
the favorites, are dyed by boiling (not vio- 
lently, however.) about five hundred at a 
time, packed in a basket, in a decoction of 
logwood, and tlien adding some alum to 
convert the violet color to red. Various 
aniline dyes are also used for a similar 
purpose. 

Cabbage Salad.— Shave a hard white 
cabbage into small white strips ; take the 
yolks of three well-beaten eggs, a cup and a 
iudf of good cider vinegar, two teaspoonfuls 
of white sugar, three tablespoonfuls of thick 
cream, one teaspoonful of mustard mixed in 
a little boiling water; salt and pepper to suit 
the taste. -Mix : 11 but tlie eggs together and 
let it boil ; then stir in the eggs rapidly ; 
stir the cabbage into the mixture, ami stir 
well. It kee],\s perfectly, and is an excellent 
relish to all kinds of meat. 

Oatmeal Mush. — Into one quart of boil- 
ing water stir a teaspoonful of salt and suffi- 
cient oatmeal to nudce a thin pudding. Stir ra- 
pidly to prevent scorchiug.and when it is jnst 
thick enough to keep its shape dip out into 
a bowl or deep dish, and in a few moments 
it can be turned on to a plate. 

This is a nice breakfast dish eaten warm 
with butter and sugar ; or. when cold, with 
cream and sugar. For variety, at dinner, 
we sometimes use a dressing similar to that 
made for. dumplings, with the addition of a 
tablespoonfid of strawlierry preserves, or a 
little juice of some acid fruit. 

Apple Snow. — Pare and core eight or ten 
tart, juicy apples ; boil them in water suffi- 
cient to cover them, till they are soft, taking 
care to keep them whole ; fhen]enn)ve them 
from the stew-paii, making a syrup of nice, 
white sugnr, and replace them; let them 
siinmer slowly till they are amber-colored, 
then place iu a glass preserve-dish; beat 
fo a stiff froth ; the whites of eight eggs, and 
two-thirds of a cup of sugar, and spi-ead over 
the top. It is improved by being kept on 
ice, and is grateful to the eye aiul palate, 
either for dessert or for tea. The yolks of 
the eggs may be used in making a boiled 
custard. 



23 



G2EMAN WAFFLEa. 



German "Wafiles. — Half a pound of but- 
ter stirred to a cream, the yolks of five eggs 
stirred into half a pound of flour, half a jiiut 
of milk gradually stirred in, and lastly the 
whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth, 
and added to the butter. This recipe fur- 
nishes very rich and delicious cakes. To be 
baked in well-greased waffle-irons, as usual. 

Cloth Mittens. — Take any soft, strong 
cloth, of all wool, and the same amount of 
Canton flannel, if you have it ; let the hand 
be laid flat on a piece of paper, marked round 
with a pencil, then cut out a pattern, allow- 
ing for seams; cut the lining bias so as to 
have a spring to it, stitch the flannel and 
lining separate, turn the seams together in- 
side, bind the wrist, leaving the mitten open 
two inches on the under part of the hand, 
work a button-hole on one side, sew a strong 
button on the other, and you will have a du- 
rable mitten. 

Apple Biead, — Weigh one pound of 
fresh juicy apples ; peel, core, and stew them 
into a pulp, being careful to use a porcelain 
kettle or a stone jar, placed inside a kettle 
of boiling water ; mix the pulp with two 
pounds of the best flour ; put in the same 
quantity of yeast you would use for common 
bread, and as much water as will make it a 
fine, smooth dough; put it into a pan and 
place it in a M'arm place to rise, and let it 
remain for twelve hours at least. Form it 
into rather long-shaped loaves, and bake in 
a quick oven. 

Naphthylamine Colors for Printing 
on Fabrics. — A mixture having the proper- 
ties of aniline black, which is said to produce 
fast colors, and is adapted to printing on 
fvbrics may be obtained by addiug on oxidi- 
zing agent, as chlorate of potash, a copper 
salt, or hydrofluosilicic acid to a iiaphthy la- 
mina salt, such as the nitrate, acetate, or 
chloride. The fabric printed with it must 
be exposed to the air for some time, then be 
passed through a bath of bichromate of pot- 
ash, to which sulphuric or nitric acid has 
been added, and finally, if a beautiful brown 
or brownish-violet is desired, must be dip- 
ped in a solution of an alkaline chloride. 
The colors produced are permanent. 

MufEus of Stale Bread. — In every 
family bread is apt, to accumulate, and the 
good economist always manages to dispose 
of it in some useful way before it moulds. 
The following recipe teaches the easiest way 
of making such a disposition, and will be 
found reliable : Take a quart loaf of bread, 
slice it, and put it in a bowl, and pour on 
sufficient water to cover, and let it stand 
until well soaked : then press the water from 
it, and mash the bread until no lumps re- 
main. Add two thoroughly beaten eggs, 
two table-spoonfnls of floiir, one of melted 
butter or lard, a little salt, a very small por- 
tion of soda (unless the bread or milk is 
sour, when more will be required), and milk 
en'Jagh to make it into a stiff batter. Bake 
in muffin-rings or drop from a spoon npon a 
griddle. 



To Make an Antique Bronze. — The 

repeated applications, to copper or brass, ol 
alternate Ma.shes of dilute acetic acid and 
exposure to the fumes of ammonia will give 
a very antique-looking green bronze ; but a 
quick mode of producing a similar appear- 
ance is often desirable. To this end the ar- 
ticles may be immersed in a solution of one 
part perchloride of iron in two parts water. 
The tone assumed darkens with the length 
of immersion. Or the articles may be boiled 
in a strong solution of nitrate of copper. 
Or, lastly, they may be immersed in a solu- 
tion of two ounces nitrate of iron and two 
ounces hyposulphite of soda in one pint 
water. Washing, di'ying, and burnishing, 
complete the process. 

Box Measures. — Farmers and market 
gardeners will find a series of box measures 
very useful ; and they can be readily made 
by any one M'ho understands the two-foot 
rule, and can handle the saw and the ham- 
mer. A box K! by ](j^ inches square, and 
8 inches deep, will contain a bushel. or2ir>0 i 
cubic inches, each inch in depth holding one 
gallon. 

A box 24 by 11 1-5 inches square, and 8 
inches deep, will also contain a bushel, or 
21.">0.4 cubic inches, each inch in depth 
holding one gallon. 

A box 12 by 11 1-5 inches square, and 8 
inches deep will contain half a bushel, or 
1075.2 cubic inches, each inch in depth 
holding half a gallon. 

A box 8 by 8^ inches square, and 8 inches 
deep, will contain half a peck, or 298.8 cubic 
inches. The gallon dry measure. 

A box 4 by 4 inches square, and 4 1-5 in- 
ches deep, will contain one quart, or 67.2 
cubic inches. 

Measuring Land. — One acre contains 
160 square rods, 4,840 square yards, 43.560 
square feet. One rod contains :'0^ square 
yards, 272|^ square feet. One square yard 
contains 9 square feet. 

THE SIDE OF A SQUIKE TO CONTAIN 





Feet. 


Eods. 


Paces. 


One acre 


208.71 


12.65 


64 


Half acre 


147.58 


8.94 


45 


Third acre 


120.50 


7.30 


37 


Fourth acre 


104.38 


6.32 


32 


Eighth acre 


73.79 


4.47 


22i 



HOW TO ESTIMATE CEOPS PEB ACRE. 

Frame together four light sticks, measur- 
ing exactly a foot square inside, and, with 
this in one hand, walk into the field and se- 
lect a spot of fair average yield, and lower 
the frame square over as many heads as it 
will inclose, and shell out the heads thus in- 
closed carefully, and weigh the grain. It is 
fair to presume that the proportion will be 
the 43.5G0th part of an acre's produce. To 
prove it go through the field and make ten 
or twenty similar calculations, and estimate 
by the mean of the whole number of results. 
It will certainly enable a farmer to make a 
closer calculation of what a field will pro- 
duce than he can by guessing. 



A TJSEyTrL SOAP. 



27 



A Useful Soap. — The following is com- 
mor.tkxl iiy those who b;ivo tried it for scrub- 
bing find cleansing painted floors, washing 
dishes, and other household purposes. Take 
two potiiids of wliite olive sonp and shave it 
in thin slices; add two ounces of borax and 
two (juarts of cold water; stir all together in 
a stone or earthen jar, and let it set upon the 
hacli of the stove until the mass is dissolvpd. 
A very little heat is required, as the liquid 
need not simmer. "When thoroughly mixed 
and cooled, it l)ecomes of the consistence of 
a thick jelly, and a piece the size of a cubic 
inch will make a lather for a gallon of 
■water. 

Irish Potato Soup — Take a quart of 
nice potatoes, jieel, £iik1 boil them in a gal- 
lon ot' water. When the potatoes are well 
done, take tliem out and mash fine. Season 
with pepper, salt, and butter, two onions 
chopped up. or a bunch of celery, and a lit- 
tle thyme if preferred. Keturn them to the 
boiling water, and let it boil fifteen minutes. 
Beat up light two eggs, into which stir a 
cupful of sweet cream, and add to the soup. 
Two or three slices of toasted bread are an 
improvement, put in with the egg and cream. 
Let it boil up once, and it is ready to serve. 

Raspberry Vinegar. — Pour over one 
pound of bruised berries one quart of the 
best cider vinegar ; next day strain the liq- 
uor on one pound of fresh ripe raspberries, 
bruise them also, and on the following day do 
the same. Do not squeeze the fruit, only 
drain the liquor thoroughly. Put the juice 
into a stone jir and add sugar in proportion 
of one pound to a pint. When the sugar is 
melted, jilace the jars in a saucepan of water, 
which heat; skim the liquor, and, after it 
has simmered for a few minutes, remove 
from the fire, cover, and bottle. 

Stained and Polished Floors. — A 

correspondent who thinks that carpets are 
too expensive for daily use and that some- 
thing that is cheaper and at the same time 
more easily kept clean is needed, says that a 
friend's hall and kitchen were floored, as he 
supposed with black walnut and pine ; but 
he was informed that the owner had caused 
the floors to be smoothly laid, and with his 
own hands had stained each alternate board 
a dark color, and then with shellac had fin- 
ished the whole with a fine polish. He says : 
"I shall have my hall and dining-room floors 
planed smoothly and evenly by a carpenter, 
and then myself rub carefully with a sponge 
or brush, avoiding any daubs over the seam, 
into each alternate board a staii\ prepared 
as follows: One-qttarter of aponndot'asphal- 
tum and half a pound of beeswax; if too 
light in color, add asphaltum, thotigh that 
must be done with caution, as very little 
will graduate the shade, and black walnut is 
not what its name indicates, but a rich dark 
brown ; or burned umber in alcohol, to the 
proper consistency of easy application, may 
be used without the beeswax ; and. after a 
thin coat of shellnc has been laid over the 
whole and the smfuce smoothed over with 



sandpaper, a coat of common varnish will 
give it a splendid finish. A breadth of car- 
pet or matting, or a jiiece of oilcloth laid 
down, will protect it where the greatest 
wear comes. The narrower the floor the 
finer will be the efl"ect ; but in any case it 
will excite your own and your friends' ad- 
miration and prove a joy forever." 

Remedial Properties of Borax. — It 

may be interesting to some to know that 
a weak solution of borax-water snuffed up 
the nostrils, causing it to pass through to 
the nasal passage to the throat, thencjacting 
it from the mouth, will greatly relievo 
catarrh, and in cases not too obstinate or 
long-standing, will, if persevered in, effect a 
permanent cure. It is also of great value in 
case of inflamed or weak eyes. Make a sol- 
ution (not too strong), and bathe the eye by 
opening and shutting it two or three times 
in the water. This can be done by means 
of an eye-cup, or equally well liy holding a 
handful of the water to the eye. Another 
difficultj', with which many persons are af- 
flicted, is an irritation or inflammation of 
the mendu'ane lining the cavities of the nose, 
which becomes aggravated by the slightest 
cold, often caiising great pain. This can be 
greatly relieved, if not entirely cured, by 
snffing borax-water up the nostrils two or 
three times a day. The most diflicult cases 
of soar throat may be cured by using it sim- 
ply as a gargle. As a wash for the head it 
not only leaves the scalp very white and 
clean, but renders the hair soft and glossy. 
It has also been found by manj' to be of in- 
valuable service in case of nervous headache. 
If applied in the same manner as in washing 
the hair, the result is wonderful. It may be 
used quite strong, after which rinse the hair 
carefully with clear water; let the person 
thxis suffering remain in a quiet, well-ventil- 
ated room, until the hair is nearly or quite 
dry. and, if possible, indulge in a short sleep, 
and there will hardly remain a trace of tha 
headache. If clergymen, teachers, and 
others, who have an undue amount of braio- 
work for the kind and quality of physical 
exercise usually taken, would shampoo the 
head in this manner about once a week, and 
then undertake no more brain-work until 
the following morning, they would be sur- 
prised to find how clear and strong the facul- 
ties had become, and there is reason to hope 
there would be much less premature decay 
of the mental faculties. As a toilet requisite 
it is quite indispensible. If used to rinse 
the mouth each time after cleaning the teeth 
it will prevent the gums from becoming dis- 
eased or uncleanly. In short, in all cases of 
alliiying inflamation there is probably noth- 
ing better in materia medica. The average 
strength of the solution should be a small 
teaspoonful to a toilet-glass of water. 

Potato Puff. — Two cups of cold, mashed 
potatoes ; stir in two table spoonfuls of 
melted butter, heating to a cream ; add two 
well-beaten eggs, one cup of cream or milk ; 
pour in a deep dish, Bake in a quick oven. 



28 



JELLY CAKE. 



Jelly Cake. — One cnp bntter. one cnp 
sugar, four eggs, one and a half cups flour. 
Beat the eggs jsoparately. 

Muffins. — Two eggs, one qnart of flonr, 
a pint of sweet milk, two pounds of butter, 
a gill of yeast, a tea.spoouful of salt. 

Grandmother's Gingerbread.— A cup 

and a half of molasses, cnp of rich sour 
cream, teaspoonful of saleratus, teaspoonful 
of ginger. Mix a little stiQ". 

Clove Cake. — One cnp molasses, one 
cup sugar, one cnp butter, one cup butter- 
milk, three eggs, three cups flour, one table- 
spoonfid cloves, one of cinnamon, one tea- 
spoonfid saleratus in milk, raisins. 

Beef Stew. — Six pounds of the flank of 

beef, cut in small pieces ; boil in two quarts 
of water nntil tender. Then put in a dozen 
potatoes, a dozen onions, and four turnips. 
Cover it so that the steam shall not escape. 
Salt and pepper to the taste. 

Raspberry Wine. — Take 3 pounds of rai- 
sins, wash, clean, and stone them thoroughly; 
boil two gallons spring water for half an hour ; 
as soon as it is taken otl' the fire pour it into 
a deep stone jar. and put in the raisins, with 
6 q'lans of raspberries and 2 pounds, of loaf 
sugar; stir it well together, and cover them 
closely, and set it in a good cool place; stir 
it twice a day, then pass it through a sieve ; 
put the liquor into a close vessel, adding 1 
pound, more loaf suger ; let it stand for a day 
and a night to settle, after which bottle it, 
adding a little more sugar. 

Cure for Diphtheria and Scarlet Fe- 
ver. — Take, say, a gill of vinegar, one tea- 
spoonful of table-salt, and slice up four or 
five large onions in it, and let it heat in a 
pan. Put it in a flannel bag. squeeze it out 
lightly, and pin around the child's throat as 
hot as it can be borne, and also put the same 
on the bottoms of the feet. Change the ap- 
plication morning, noon, and night, for three 
or four days, and it will cure the worst case. 
It will produce abscesses on the surface of 
the skin. The same iz sure to cure the worst 
case of scarlet fever, if used in the same 
way. 
' How to Select Flour. — Look at its co- 
lor ; if it is white, with a sHghtly yellowish 
or straws-colored tint, it is a good sign. If it 
is very white, with a bluish cast with white 
specks in it, the flour is not good. Examine 
its adhesiveness ; wet and knead a little of 
it between the fingers; if it works dry and 
elastic it is good; if it works soft and sticky 
it is poor. Flour made from Spring wheat 
is likely to be sticky. Throw a little lump 
of dry flour against a dry, smooth, perpen- 
dicular surface ; if it adheres in a lump, the 
flour has life in it ; if it falls like powder it 
is bad. Squeeze some of the flour in your 
hands ; if it retain the shape given by the 
pressure, that too, is a good sign. Flour 
that will stand all these tests it is Bafe to 
buy. 



To Starch Shirt Bo.som.'S and Collars. 

— Pour a pint of bo ling water upon two oun- 
ces of gum arable, cover it and let it stand 
over night. A tablespoouful of this gum ara- 
ble water, stirred into a pint of starch made 
ill the usual manner, will give to lawns, either 
white or printed, a look of newne.ss when 
nothing else can restore them. To evary pint 
of starch add piece of spermaceti caudle the 
size of a chestnut. 

To tell the Strength of Ropes.— To 
find what size rope yon require, when roven 
as a tackle, to lift a given weight: Divide 
the weight to be raised by the number of 
parts at the movable block, to obtain the 
strain on a single part ; add one third of this 
for the increa.<*ed strain brought by friction, 
and reeve the rope of corresponding strength. 
One sixth of 40 tons is (J!| tons, which, with 
one third added, is S) tons nearly, for which 
yon should reeve a six-inch or six-and-a-half 
inch rope. 

Conversely — To find what weight a given 
rojje will lift when rove as a tackle : Multiply 
the weight that the rope is capable of sus- 
pending by the nnnd>er of parts at the mov- 
able block, and subtract one fourth of this 
for resistance. 

Thus — 8.!> tons, the strength of the rope, 
multiplied by 6, the nunil)er of parts at the 
movable block, miims lo 8 or one fourth, 
gives 40.1 tons as tlie wei.^ht required. 

Wire rope is more than twice the .strength 
of hemp rope of the same circumference. 
Splicing a ro^Je is supposed to ^veaken it 
one eighth. 

The strongest description of hemp rope is 
nntarred, white, three-stranded rope; and 
the next in the scale of strength i.s the com- 
mon three-strand, hawser-laid rope, tarred. 

Artificial Ivory. — The inventor, Mr. 
Marquardt, dissolves two pounds of pure 
rubber in thirty-two pounds of chloroform, 
and hereupon saturates the solution with a 
■current of ammonia gas. When the ridiber 
has been completely bleached, the admission 
of the gas is interrupted, and the mass is 
transferred into a vessel provided with a 
stirrer, iu which it is washed wi(h hot water 
until the bleaching agent h^s been entirely 
removed. During this operation, the tem- 
perature may be increased to 185 deg. Fah., 
in order to evaporate the chloroform, which, 
by conducting it into an apparatus of con- 
densation, may again be made use of. The 
remaining product forms a kind of froth, 
which, being pressed out. dried, and again 
treated with a small quantity of chloroform, 
is finally obtained as a consistent paste. The 
paste is now mixed with a .suflicient quantity 
of finely pulverized phosphate of lime, or 
carbonate of zinc, until it assumes the ap- 
pearance of moist flour. In this condition 
it is pressed in hot moulds, which it lenves 
sufficiently hard tc be turned, planed, filed, 
and bored. In order to imitate corals, pearls, 
enamels, hard woods, &c., it is only neces- 
sary to mix the paste with the desired colors 
previously to its being compressed. 



A HIST TO CONStrMPTIVES. 



S9 



A Hint to Constiinptives. — A physic- 
ian of uo litile experience saysbehixs knuwu 
several cuusiiiuptive patients cared by ob- 
serving the following rules : Live teni{>«rate- 
}y. avoid spirituous liquors, wear tJan/iel next 
tlie skin, and take every morning half a pint 
new milk, mixed witb a wiue-gJass full of 
expressed juice of green hoarbouud, 

A Hanging Garden. —A hanging garden 
of sponge is one of tiae latest novelties in 
giii'dening. Take a white sponge of large 
size, and sow it full of rice, oats, or wheat. 
Then place it for a week or ten days in a 
shalk'w dish ; and, as the sponge wiil ab- 
sorb the moisture, the seeds wiil begin to 
spi'ont before many days. When this has 
fairly taken place, the sponge may be sus- 
pended by means of cords from a hook in 
top of the window, where a little sun will 
enter. It will thus become a living mass 
of green, requiring a iittle occasional mois- 
ture. 

A Novel Battery. — A gre<at galvanic 
battery has been described by Dr. Gohliug 
Bird, which, it is stated, can decompose 
water and ignite ch ircoal. The mode of 
constru-ction is to break the stems of six to- 
bacco pipes close to the bowls, and close the 
apparatus at the bottom of each bowl with 
sealing wax; get six small toy tiiuiblers 
about half an inch in height ; put in each a 
cylinder of amalgamated zinc, and then in 
each pipe bowl a thin slip of platinum foil, 
half an inch wide, and ccmnect it with zinc 
of the next cell with platinum wire ; fill 
the pipe bowl with nitric acid, and the 
tumblers with diluted sulphuric acid, and 
the battery is complete. In case the plati- 
num cannot be obtained copper may be sub- 
stituted. This battery is an imitation of the 
famous battery made by Faraday out of a 
common thimble. 

Potato Pome. — 1. Take twelve or fifteen 
nice sweet potatoes (yams always preferred), 
boil them until well done ; then peel, mash 
with pestle or rolling-pin, and rub through a 
sieve to get out all strings or tough fibres ; 
now add sugar to make it very rich, ground 
cloves, nutmeg, and sweet mill:, enough to 
make it the consistency of cnstaixi ; you can 
then pour the mixture in a buttered pan and 
bake. 

2. Take one gallon of grated potato (yams 
are best), add four eggs, one pound of but- 
ter, one pint of sweet milk, one teaspoonful 
of soda, one pint of flour, and sweeten to 
suit the taste ; some potatoes being sweeter 
than others, require less sugar. To season, 
take equal quantities of cinnamon, ginger, 
nutmeg, and spice. Bake till thoroughly 
done. 

3. To two quarts of nicely grated potatoes 
add one teacupful of sugar, two spoonfuls of 
fresh butter or lard, salt to suit the taste, 
two tablespoonfuls of ground alspice, two 
eggs, one pint of sweet milk. Bake in a slow 
ovcu until done. 



Baking Povders.— 1. Take five ounces 
of tartaric acid, eight ounces of bicarbonate 
of soda, and sixteen ounces of potato starch ; 
dry them all separately in a cool oven, not 
hot enough to brown them, and mix the 
whole by rubbing through a small sieve. 

2. Take six ounces of tartaric acid, nine 
ounces of bica.rbonate of soda, and nine 
ounces of powdered anow-rool; dry them 
separately, as before. 

3. Take sixteen ounces of corn flour, and 
dry it well; then mix with it eight ounces 
of bicarbonate of soda, and five ounces of 
tartaric acid. Rice flour can be substituted 
for the corn flour. All baking powders 
should be kept in wide-mouthed bottles 
well corked, so as to exclude all air and 
damp. 

Half a teaspoonful of the mixtnre is suffi- 
cient quantity for one pound of flour if used 
for pastry, and will render a less amount of 
lard and butter necessary. In making bread 
with them, two teaspoonfuls of the powder 
will make a loaf that will weigh two pounds, 
or w-ill make two quarts of flour into light 
biscuits. The powder must be well mixed 
with the flour, after which cold water is used 
for mixing up, and the dough should be put 
into tins at once and baked in a hot oven. 
Quick w'orked makes the best biscuits, bread, 
nfcc, but the mixing must be thorough. 

Preserving Flowers. — By the following 
process flowere may be preserved without 
losing their beanty of tint or form ; Get a 
quantity of fine sand, wash it until the last 
water tliat runs ofl' is quite clear, then put 
the wet sand on a board placed aslant over a 
pan to drain the water oft". Dry the sand 
perfectly by the fire, or in the sun. Sift it 
twice, once through a fine sieve, next 
through a coarse one ; thus the sand will be- 
come nearly all of the same sized particles, 
and be very fine. Cut the flowers when full 
blown, and in dry weather, not moist with 
dew or rain. Get a box of sufficient size, 
fill it with sand so high that the flowers may 
stand erect in it by their imbedded stems. 
Then put some sand in the sieve, 'and ten- 
derly sift it over the flowers, so as not break 
them; do not crumple or dsjilace a petal. 
Keep the box in a warm, dry place, but not 
too hot. The temperature should never ex- 
ceed 100 degrees. The sand absorbs the 
moisture of the flowers. As soon as you 
think the flowers are thoroughly dry. open 
the box and slant it so as to let the upper 
sand run out gently; then lift them out by 
their stems. The flowers will be perfect, but 
a little brittle. In time the atmosphere will 
make them less so. 

To Keep House Plants "Without 
Fire.— Take an old bed quilt, put it on 
the floor, and set the plants together in the 
center. Set a stand over them, and bring 
the quilt up over the top. If any of the 
plants are very sensitive to the cold, a news- 
paper pinned around them would be an 
additional protection. 



so 



Btrtws. 



Burns. — A eottoTJ clotb satnrated witb a 
Rolution of altnii and water, aud applied to a 
burn will soou remove the pain. The clotb 
should be constantly replaeed bv fresb ones, 
until the desired etiect is produced. 

Liniment. — No better liniment for brnises 
on luau ov bea.st was ever used than equal 
jiarts of laudanum, alcbobol, and oil of woim- 
wood. It reduces the swelling rapidly, if 
inflamed, and removes soreness like a cbarm. 
The sooner applied, of course, the better. 

The Ear-Ache.— Generally beat is the 
best renied3\ Apply a warm poultice or 
vrarm oil to the ear. Hub the back of the 
ear with warm laudanum. In case of a fetid 
discharge, carefully syringe the ear with 
warm milli and water. In all cases keep the 
ear thoroughly cleansed. Relief is often 
given by rubbing the back of the ear with a 
little hartshorn aud water. 

Beautiful Ornament for Kooms. — A 

Tery oruarnental object may be made of a 
pine cone liy laying it on a stove nntil the 
scales are fully open, then filling the spaces 
with equal parts of sand and grass seed, and 
banging it in a dark room for a week with 
the lower half immersed in a vessel of 
water. On exposure to light the aeeds M'ill 
germinate rapidly, and produce a luxuriant 
growth. When hung up in a window sub- 
sequently, it should be watered daily with 
lukewarm water, 

A Beautiful Ornament. — On a slender 
graceful Vjraeket, place a fancy flower-pot. 
From thin let a woodbine of wax seem to 
grow. The leaves may be green or may 
have the beautiful scarlet hue which the 
real woodbine assumes in Autumn. The 
vine trained along the side and over the 
top of a window or archway will bring an 
October glory into the whole apartment. 
"Wax, in tints to simulate Autumn leaves, 
comes prepared in boxes, and any one with 
care and a slight amount of skill may make 
for herself these lovely ornaments for win- 
ter rooms. 

Transparencie.s on Silk. — In order to 
prepare a piece of silk for painting upon, 
let it be stretched in a frame, and then 
washed with strong alum-water. Let it dry 
thoroughly after this, and then apply a 
wash of isinglass dissolved in water. This 
will give a body to the silk, and prevent the 
colors from running into each other. The 
better the quality of silk— that is, the closer 
the texture — the more easily may you paint 
upon it. Next draw the design upon the 
silk with a crayon or charcoal, and paint 
with transparent colors mixed in oils or var- 
nish. For painting screens which need not 
be transparent, use body colors, either 
water or oils, varnishing over when dry with 
white varnish. 

To Grow Mushrooms. — Many persons 
regard the culture of mushroooms as a great 
my.stei-y. But it is not so. On the con- 
trary, it is as simple as raising a crop of 



com, or cultivating a grapcTine or a bed of 
cabbages, and can be done in out-of-the-wny 
places, taking up little room and requiring 
little attention. Miishvoonis can be grown 
almost anywhere in an enclosed place — even 
in the kitchen or »itting-room ; but the best 
out-of-the-way places are a close horse-sta- 
ble, which is regarded as the best of all ; 
mild cellars, enclosed out-houses, of almost 
every kind, where the soil in beds> can be 
kept from freezing. 

Now for the mode of growing. Take » 
box, say ten or twelve inches in depth, aitd 
as long and broad as the space will admiit of 
or may be desired ; pack it down witb six 
inches of horse-droppings, on this three 
inches of dry cow droppings, broken some- 
what fine; moisten this (not wetting or de- 
luging it) with a strong brine of nitre or 
saltpetre water. In this cow manure plant 
the spawn, which can be /jbtained at the 
best horticultiu-al stores, in the form of a 
brick ; break in good size pieces, say an 
large as a walnut, and set in triangular 
shape, thus *#*, and cover with from an 
eighth to a quarter of an inch (not more 
than the latter) of fine dry soil. Cover the 
whole with old carpet or any heavy clotb, so 
that the light is completely excluded. Of 
course it needs no sun, but just the con- 
trary, as perfect darkness is required. 

To Tell the Heights of Trees or 
Other Objects. — 1. Place a rod perpen- 
dicularly in the ground, so that there shall 
be say 5 feet above ground, and measure 
the length of its shadow ; then measure the 
shadow of the tree whose height is requirecJ 
to be known, and it can readily be arrived 
at by a rule-of-three sum. Thus, supposing 
the shadow from the 5-foot rod to measure 
7 feet, and the shadow of the tree to measure 
120 feet, it will stand thus : 

As 7 ft. : 5 ft. : ; 120 ft. : 85 5-7 ft., 
the height of the tree. 

• 2. In the absence of a Gunter's quadrant, 
get a piece of soft wood, a quarter of an 
inch thick, and in shape exactly a quarter of 
a circle ; let the straight edges be true and 
smooth, and where they meet, that is, at 
what would be the centre of the circle, let a 
thread be fastened, and to the end of it a 
button or small weight should be attached. 
Screw in two small brass eyes on the straight 
edge, so that they may be exactly level with 
it, and make a mark just half way on the 
circumference of the wood. Take this in- 
strument vertically, with the corner upper- 
most, and look through the brass holes to 
the top of the tree, approaching or receding 
from the trunk until the top of the tree is 
visible through both of the holes; the 
thread at the same time should hang over 
the mark; the distance from the observer 
to the tree will theTi. from the necessities of 
trigonometry, ))e equal to the height of the 
tree, but allowance should be made for the 
height of the observer's eye from the ground. 
This experiment supposes the ground to be 
level toward the tree, eo that it makes a 
right angle with the ground-line. 



TO COX/On APPIiZS "WHILE GEO WING. 



31 



To color Apples "while Grorw^ing. — 

A bright red color Ciiii lie iiiniiuted lo grow- 
iiig !i|)j:ile,s by the application of the oxyd 
of iron to the soil about tlie roots of the 
trees. Anvil dust and cinders, etc., will 
answer the purpose. 

Doughnuts w^ithoTit Eggs. — One-half 
teacup of buttermilk or sonr uiilk, the same 
of cream and of sugar, one teuspoonful of 
salerattis, spice and salt to t-aste; atld a little 
jeast, flt)ui" enough to mold, and let it rise 
before frying; or if an egg be put in, the 
yeast cau be left out and the dough fried at 
once. 

To lorevent i-avages of Mice in Corn 
Stacks. — Sprinkle from four to six liushels 
of dry white .sand upon the root of the stack 
before the thatch is put on. The sand is no 
detriment to the corn, azid stacks thus 
dressed have remained without injur j'. So 
very effective m the remedy, that nests of 
dead young mice have beenfmind where the 
sand has been used, but not a iive mouse 
could be seen. 

To prevent Com being destroyed 
■when nevT-ly planted. — To prevent the 
corn being destroyed or eaten by chickens, 
birds, or insects, l)efore it grows through the 
surface of the soil, prepare the seed before 
planting by sprinkling a sufficient portion 
©f coai tar, proeui-ed at the gas manufactory, 
through it. stirring so that a portion will ad- 
here to each gi-aui; then mix among the 
corn some ground plaster-of-Paris, which 
will prevent the tar from sticking t*i the 
fingers of those who drop the corn, and 
vegetivtion will be promoted thereby. The 
tar and plaster will not injure the corn so as 
to prevent its growing, by being kept some 
days after it is so mixed together. 

To Convert Bones into Manure.- — 
Take one hundred pounds of bones, broken 
into as small fragments as possible ; pack 
them in a tight cask or box with one hun- 
dred pounds of good wood ashes. Mix with 
the ashes, before packing, twenty-five 
pounds of slaked lime and twelve pounds of 
sal soda, powdered fine. It will require 
about t",venty gallons of water to saturate the 
mass, and more may and should be added 
from time to time to maintain moisture. In 
tw o or three weeks, it is as.serted, the bones 
will be broken dowu completelj', and the 
whole may be turned out upon a floor and 
mixed with two bushels of dry peat or good 
soil, and, after drying, it is fit for use. It 
has been recommended to pour on to this 
mass dihite sulphuric acid to aid decompo- 
sition and prevent the escape of ammonia. 

Another method is to take a hettle hold- 
ing a barrel or more; fill with bones; pour 
caustic ley over to cover them. A gentle 
fire is built for two or three suc-cessive days, 
to barely warm the liquid through. In a 
week the bones will become «oftened. Mix 
tlie mass with three loads of muck, after- 
ward adding the leached .afihes. from which 
the ley was obtained. Let the whole re- 
main, in order to decompose the mtick, and 
apply. 



To Cure Beef. — To one gallon of water 
add one and one-half i:)ounds of salt, one- 
half pound of sugar, and one-half ounce 
each of saltpetre and potash. Let these be 
boiled together and skimmed until perfectly 
clear. Put iu a tub to cool, and, M'hen cold, 
pour it over the beef or pork, and let it re- 
main the usual time, say four or five week.s. 
The meat must be well covered with the 
pickle, and should not Ije put dt)Mu for at 
least two days after killing, during which 
time it should be slightly sprinkled with 
powdered saltpetre, which removes all the 
surface blood, leaving the meat fresh and 
clean. 

To Dry Fresh Meat.— Cut the flesh 
into slices from 2 to G ounces in weight, im- 
merse a small portion at a time in boiling 
water for 5 or (> minutes, using just water 
enough to cover the meat, and adding fresh 
water to keep the liquor vp to its original 
quantity. Lay the meat to dry on open 
trellis-work iu a drying stove, keeping the 
temperature at about 122 deg. Fahr. In 
about two days the meat will be completely 
dry, having lost f its weight. Add a little 
salt and 'spice, especially coriander, to the 
liquor or soup in which the meat was im- 
mersed, and then evaporate it to a gelatinous 
consistence. When the flesh is perfectly 
dry, dip it, piece by piece, in the gelatinous 
matter liquefied by a gentle iieat, and re- 
place it iu the stove to dry, repeating this 
varnishing and drying 2 or 3 times, so as to 
get the coating uniformly thick. Meat thua 
dried will keep good for a year. 

Sausage-Making. — Of course those who 
i-aise their own {)ork will make their own 
sausages ; and those who are fond of sausage 
meat, but have to buy it, will find it greatly 
to their advantage to purchase meat before 
it is cut up, and season it for themselves. 
Sausages made of beef and pork are more 
wholesome and more hearty than those made 
of pork alone. About one-fourth of the 
meat should l>e fat and the three-fourths be 
equally divided between lean beef and pork. 
With a machine which costs only a few 
dollars, the laV)or of chopping the meat will 
be trifling and the machine will be found 
useful in making mince pies, hash and salads. 
For the sausages, take twelve pounds of 
chopped meat, six ounces of salt, four oiuices 
of sage, one ounce of black pepper, half a 
teaspoonful red pepper, and a teaspoouful 
powdered saltpetre; mix thoroughly, and 
ptit in skins or in cases of muslin, and smoke 
moderately. It is well to put in only a part 
of the seasoning and try the meat to see 
what additions it needs to make it right. If, 
instead of smoking the sausage they be fried 
in hot lard, after the manner of coolcing 
doughnuts, then packed in jars and the lard 
poured over them, they will keep without 
spoiling until warm weather. Very good 
saiisages are made of bogs' hearts, after the 
following recipe : Twenty pounds hogs' 
hearts, ten pounds fat porlc, twelve ounces 
salt, six ounces pepper, sage to taste, other 
spices if you like ; chop fine and put in ekius. 



32 



TOOTH POWDEK, 



Tooth. Po'wder. — Two ounces prepared 
chalk, half au ounce pulverized borax, the 
same of pulverized ori'is-root, and quarter 
of an ounce of cassia-powdei'. 

Walnut Catsup.— Walnut-shell juice, 3 
gallons; salt, 7 pounds; ginger, 8 ounces; 
Bhallots, Bounces; garlic, 8 ouncee; horse- 
radish, 8 ounces; essence of anchovies, 1 
quart. Mix. 

Chapped Lips. — Take -2 ounces of M'hite 
•wax, 1 ounce spermaceti, i ounces of oil of 
almonds, 2 ounces honey, 5- of an ounce of 
essence of berganiot, or any other scent. 
Melt the wax and spermaceti ; then add the 
Louey, and melt all together, and when hot, 
add the almond-oil by degrees, stirring it till 
cold. 

To Remove Tan. — Tan may be removed 
from the face by mixing magnesia in soft 
yater to the consistency of paste, which 
should then be spread on the face and allowed 
to remain a minute or two. Then wash off 
with castile-soap suds, and rinse with soft 
■water. 

Cream Cheese from Buttermilk.— 
Put the buttermilk in a kettle over the fire 
and heat slowly till it curdles, but do not let 
it get warmer than will be pleasant to the 
hands when placed in it. Remove from the 
fire and let it set on the back of the stove 
till the curd separates from the whey, then 
strain through a sieve or bag. Work the 
curd fine with the hands, salt it a very little, 
and then put in cream, mixing it thoroughly 
■with the curd. 

Gold and Silver Inks. — Grind gold 
leaf with white honey on a slab of porphyry 
or glass, with a muller. until it is reduced 
to an unpalpable powder in a pasty condi- 
tion ; this golden honey paste is then dif- 
fused in water, which dissolves the honey, 
«nd the gold falls to the bottom in the form 
of very fine powder. When the honey is all 
■«'ashed away mix the gold powder with gum 
arable mucilage. After using it allow it to 
dry on the paper, and then it may be made 
brilliant by burnishing it with an agate bur- 
nisher. Silver ink is prepared in the same 
way, by rising silver leaf. 

Treasury Department "White^wash. — 
The receipt for whitewashing .';ent out by 
the Lighthouse Board of the Treasury De- 
partment has been found by experienoe to 
answer on wood, brick and stone nearly as 
■well as oil-paint and is much cheaper. 
Slake a i bushel of unslaked lime with boil- 
ing water, keeping it covered during the 
process. Strain it. and add a peck of salt, 
dissolve in warm water, 3 pounds of ground 
rice put in boiling water and boiled to a thin 
])Mste; I pound powdered Spanish whiting 
and a pound of clear glue, dissolved in warm 
water; mix these well together, and let the 
mixture stand for several days. Keep the 
wash thus prepared in a kettle or portable 
furnace, and when used put it on as hot as 
possible with either painters or whitewash 
brushes. 



Sulphur Ointment. — Lard 4 ounces, 
flour of sulphur 1 ^ ounces, Sal ammonia, 2 
drachms: essence of lemon, 12 drops; make 
it into an ointment. Will generally cure the 
itch, and has no disagreeable smell. 

To Cook Terrapins. — Boil them ten 
minutes, take them out of the water and 
pull off the outer shell. Then boil them 
again till the claws become teiuler. Then 
take them out of the inner shell, being care- 
ful not to break the gall, which must be 
taken from the liver and thrown away ; 
throw away all the spongy part — the rest is 
fit to eat. Cut the terrapin into small 
pieces, put them into a stew-pan with a lit- 
tle salt, cayenne pepper, and some butter.- 
After they have stewed a few minutes in the 
butter, add a gill of water to each terrapin. 
Stew ten minutes longer, then add some 
butter rolled in flour, another g'.U of ivater 
to 'each terrapin, and ateiv five minutes 
longer : take them from the fire, and stir in 
one beaten j'olk of au egg to *ach terrapin ; 
cover the pan tightly, let it stand five min- 
utes, then pour into a deep dish and send tO' 
the table. 

To Re-cut old Files and Rasps. — 

The worn files are first cleaned with potash 
and hot water, after which they are left for 
five minutes in a solution composed of one 
part of sulphuric acid and seven parts of 
water ; a quantity of nitric acid equal to the 
sulphuric is then added to the solution, and 
as much water also, and the tiles are left in 
the solution for about forty minutes longer. 
They are now ready for use, but, if to be 
stored, they must be brushed over with a 
little oil or grease to prevent rusting. The 
files are not allowed to touch each other in 
the solution, being supported by their tangs 
only. In order to obtain the most comjilete 
results pos.sible, the proportions of acid are 
varied according to the size of the files ; for 
example, for large files, one-sixth acid ; for 
bastard files, one-eighth, one-ninth, to one- 
eleventh ; and for the finest, one-twelfth to 
one-thirteenth. 

To Remove Bluing From Steel. — 

Immerse in a pickle composed of equal 
parts muriatic acid and elixir vitriol. Einse 
in pure water and dry in tissue paper. 

Sealing Steel,— The scales on steel ar- 
ticles can be removed by pickling in water 
with a little sulphtiric acid in it, and when 
the scale is loosened, brushing with sand 
and a stiff brush. 

To Restore Burnt Steel. — Borax, 3 
oz. ; sal-ammoniac, 8 oz. ; prussiate of pot- 
ash, 3 oz. ; blue clay, 2 oz. ; rosin, 1 3 lb. ; 
water, 1 gill; alcohol 1 gill. Put all on a 
fire, and simmer till it dries to a powder. 
The steel is to be heated, and dipped into 
this powder, and afterward hammered. 

To Toughen Steel.— Eosin 2 lbs. ; tal- 
low 2 lbs. ; black pitch 1 lb. ; melt together. 
and dip the steel in when hot. 



mPEOVED METHODS OF DtEING. 



IMPRO^^D METHODS OF DTEIXG. 

THESE RECIPES AEE FOIl ONE POUND OF GOODS. 

Yellow on Cotton, No. 1.— 2 oz. Rug.ir 
of lead, dissolve iu Lot water, in a tin ves- 
sel; put iu goods, let tbem reniaiu 30 miu- 
iites. Theu dissolve 1 oz. bichromate potjish 
iu hot water, iu a brass vessel and immerse 
cloth 30 minutes. 

Yellow on Woolen, No. 2.-3 oz. alnm, 1 
oz. madder cuuijxiuud, dissolve alum iu 
small quautity of Lot water, then add the 
comjiound aud mis well. Boil 8 oz. fustic 
one hdur in a STifficient quautitj' of water, 
then take out the Instie aud put iu the alum 
comj^ouud. Bdil for a lew minutes, theu 
put in tliC woolen one hour while boiling; 
air i.nl riuse well. 

Blue on t!otton. No. 3.— Dissolve li oz. 
cojipiras in hot water, keeji goods in an hour 
theu rinse. Dissolve h oz. of prussiate of 
pota.sh, with one drachm of oil vitriol in 
hot wa*er, aud keep goods oue hour, stir 
Irequeutly. 

Blue on Woolen, No. 4.— Alum 21 ozs., 
or am tartar I5 ojzs. Dissolve the water aud 
boil the g(xxls iu the solution for one hour; 
then throw the goods in warm water which 
lias more or less indigo compound iu it, ac- 
cording to the shade of color desired. This 
is easily umde aud permanent. 

Black on Woolen or Cotton, No. 5-— Dis- 
solve iu wat^r, 1 oz. extract of logwood 
and half an ounce of powdered blue vitriol, 
put in the yaru, boil 2U minutes, take out 
aud riuse. 

Orange on Cotton, No. (>.— After your 
goods are taken, Irom the yellow dye Ko. 1, 
and belore they are riused. dip them iu weak 
lime water until the desired shade is obtain- 
ed, then rinse. 

Oranj,^e on Woolen, No. 7.— Take 4 oz. 
qiaercitrou and Ij oz. lac dye, wet them 
thoroughly with hot water, add H oz. mad- 
der compoTind. Prepare iu your kettle a 
sufficient quantity of water, aud when near 
boiling add tlie quercitron, lac, etc.. to the 
liquor and boil ten minutes. Put in the 
goods an hour, the dye boiling, then air aud 
rinse. 

Green on Cotton, No. 8.— Take 5 oz, fus- 
tic and one drachin extract logwood, boil 
two hours aud add cue drachm blue vitriol. 
Color in brass, after it is colored, dry, theu 
wash iu strong suds. 

Green osi Cotton, No. 9.— First dye your 
goods in blue, then yellow, according to 
recipes No.s. 3 aud 1. 

Green on Woolen, No. 10.— Add to sufB- 
cieut water to cover the goods, 1 oz. powder- 
ed alum, scald the goods therein, then i^ut 
in half a pound of fustic and boil half au 
hour, stirring frequently, then take out the 
goods and hang them up, mix with the dye 
sufficient quantity of indigo compound to 
priduce the shade desired, put iu the goods 
and let them remain 20 minutes. 



83 

Scarlet on Silk or Woolen, No. 11.— To 

3 gallons of warm water, add 1 oz. cream 
tartar, 1 oz. powdered cochineal and 2 oz. 
solution of tin. Wet the goods in warm water 
and when the dye boils, put in the goods and 
boil oue hour, frequently stirring them, thin 
take out the goods and riuse iu cold water, 

Madder lied, No. 12.— To i pound mad- 
der, soaked over night in brass or copper, 
add 1 oz. solution of tin. Then add your 
cloth aud bring slowly to a scalding heat, 
leave it in the dye according to the shade of 
color, you wish, theu rinse in soft, clear 
water. 

Pink or Red on Cotton, No. 13.— 1 pound 
Brazil wood, steep well and strain, then add 

1 oz. solution of tin, wet your goods, letting 
them reniaiu a short time according to tho 
color desired and dry iu the shade. 

Brown on Cotton or Woolen, (Perma- 
nent), No. 14. — To 4 pound of cutch add 
tine-half jjail of water, no more goods than 
can be thoroughly wet iu the same. Dissolve 

2 oz. bichromate potash in same amount of 
water. Dip from one into the other until you 
get the right shade of color, and rinse. 

Purple or Lilae, No. 15.— Dissolve 2 oz. 
of cudbear with gentle heat in sufficient 
water to cover the goods. First dip the 
goods iu saleratus water, wring them and 
ix)ur in the dye ; let it soak half au hour. 
If you wish it darker wring again aud wet 
iu the saleratus Avater, theu again in the dye 
and add tv.'o ounces of alum. 

Salmon Color, No. 10. — Is obtained by 
boiling Annatto iu soap ends or pea.iiash 
water, and dipping the goods until the de- 
sired color is obtained. Be sure and get the 
best Spanish Annatto. 



To make Bengal Lights.— Take of niti-ato 
of polassa (saltpetre 1, 8 parts ; sublimed sul- 
phur 4 parts, and antimony 1 part, and let 
<hem be well mixed in powder aud Ijeat 
firmly into a stout iron cup, and set on fire ; 
and if a little caini)l)or be added it is still 
more brilliant. Such lights are made use of 
for communicatiug at a great distauce by sea 
at night. 

To make Phial Light.— Dry phosphorus, 
1 part ; olive oil, 6 parts. Put them into a 
phial, cork it, aiid jdace it iu wami fi'ater for 
two or three hours. For use, jniU out the 
cork, and sufficient light will be emitted to 
enable you to see the time by a watch. One 
bottle will last for years if well corked as 
soon as used. Ether may be employed in- 
stead of olive oil. 

To Prevent Logs and Planks from Split- 
ting;.— Logs and planks split at the ends be- 
cause the exposed surfae'e dries ia-^ter thau 
tlie inside. Saturate muriatic acid with lime, 
and ajiply like whitewash to the ends. The 
chloride of calcium fonnnd attracts moisture 
from the air, aud prevents the tplitting. 

LoA'age. — Lovage root (fresh), 1 pound ; 
valerian, 4 pound ; celery, J jDound ; sweet 



54 



FACTS ABOUT LtJMBEK. 



fennel, 4 pouud ; CAl'iXWny seeds, 1 onnce ; 
cassia, I ounce ; proof-spirit, 12 gullous. 
Macerate for a week, then add loaf-sugar, 
20 pounds, dissolved iu water, lU gallons. 
Mix and tine. 

Facts about Lumber.— That drying lum- 
ber does not season it, and seasoning lumber 
is not di-ying it. Tliat any amount of com- 
mon air drying does not necessarily (if ever) 
jiroduce a thorough shrinkage, even though 
the time be a hundred years. That time has 
nothing to do with either seasoning, shrink- 
ing or dying, but is aloue the result of 
condition and heat. That lumber may be 
thoioughly seasoned without being either 
dried or shrunk. 

That lumber may be made as dry as de- 
sired, and yet not be seasoned at all, and 
with only a partial or very slight shrinkage. 
That common air ne-^er seasons lumber 
(though it dries it), antl can never more than 
partially shrink the wood. That seasoning, 
shrinking and drying are each separate and 
distinct operations, and in most cases do not 
depend at all upion each other. That they 
are all necessary, though not iu the same de- 
gree. That the order of their value to the 
wood is iu the order named ; the seasoning 
being of the greatest, and the drying of the 
least value. 

To make Magic Copying Paper.— To 

make LLiok paper, lami)black mixed with 
cold l;ird ; red paper, Venetian red mixed 
with lard ; green paper, chrome green mixed 
with lard ; blue paper, piussian blue mixed 
with lard. The above ingredients to be 
mixed to the consistency of thick paste, and 
to be applied to the paper with a rag. Then 
take a tiaiinel rag nnd rub till all color ceases 
coming of. Cut your sheets four inches wide, 
and six inches long, put four sheets together, 
one of each color, and sell for twentj'-five 
cents per package. The first cost will not be 
over three cen(s. Directions for writing : — 
Lay down j'our paper upon which you wish 
to write • then lay on the copying paper, and 
ever this lay any scrap of paper you choose ; 
then take any hard, pointed substance and 
write as you would with pen. 

To Make Map Colors.— Blue. A weak mix- 
ture of sulphate of indigo and water, to 
which add a little gum. Green. — 1. Dissolve 
crystals »f verdigris in water, and a Id a lit- 
tle gum. 2. Dissolve sap green in water and 
add gum. lied. — 1. Make a decoction of 
Brazil dust in vinegar, and add a little gum 
and alum. 2. Make an infusion of cochi- 
neal and add a little gum. Yelloic. — 1. Dis- 
solve gamboge in water. 2. Make a decoc- 
tion of French berries, strain, and add a 
little gum arable. 

Map Yariiislies. A very good varnish for 
covering over architectural drawings, maps, 
etc., can be made by dissolving one pound 
of white shellac, a quarter of a pound of 
camphor and two ounces of Canada balsam 
in one gallon of alcohol. 

The following method affords also a good, 
quick-drying varnish. Thin down Canada 



balsam with turpentine, and add one-fourth 
of the bulk of quick-drying, pale copal var- 
nish; lay on smoothly with a fiat camel's 
hair brush, and let the map lie flat for a lew 
hours. 

To Polisli M-irble and Glass — Marble of 

any kind, alabaster, and hard stone, or glass, 
may be repolished by rubbing it with a linen ' 
cloth dressed with o.'iide of tin (sold under 
the name of putty powder). For this pur- 
pose ft couple or moi'e folds of linen should 
be fastened tight over a piece of wood, flat 
or otherwise, according to the form of the 
stone. To repolish a mantlepiece, it should 
be first perfectly cleaned. This is best done 
by making a paste of lime, soda and water, 
wetting well the marble, and apjilying the 
paste. Then let it remain for a day or so, 
keeping it moist during the interval, V/hon 
this paste has been removed the i)olishing 
may begin. Chips in the marble siiould be 
rubbed out first with emery and wnter. At 
every stage of polishing, tlie linen and putty 
powder must be kept constantly wet. Glass, 
such as jewelers' show counter-cases, which 
becomes scratched, may be polished in the 
same way, 

ToCIoan Marble.—!. Brush the du-st off 
the piece lo be cleaned, then ajDply with a 
brush a good coat of gum arable, about the 
consistency of a thick office mucilage, ex- 
pose it to the sun or dry wind, or both. In 
a short time it will crack and peel off. If 
all the gum should not peel off, wash it with 
clean water and a clean cloth. Of course, if 
the first application does not have the desired 
effect, it should be applied again. 2. Make 
a paste with soft soap and whiting. "Wash 
the marble first with it, and then leave a 
coat of the paste upon it for two or three 
days. Afterwards wash off with warm [not 
hot] water and soap. .3. Chalk (in fine pow- 
der), 1 part; pumice, 1 part; common soda, 
2 parts. Mix. Wash the spots with this 
powder, mixed with a little water, then clean 
the whole of the stone, and wash off with 
soap and water. 

Artificial Marble for Paper Weiglits. — 

Soak plaster of Paris in a solution of ahxm; 
bake it in an oven, and then grind it to a 
powder. In using, mix it with water, and 
to produce the clouds and veins, stir in any 
dry color you wi.sh; this Will become very 
hard and is susceptible of a verj' high polish. 

To Cut and Polish Marble.— The marble 
saw is a thin plate of soft iron, continually 
supplied, during its sawing motion, with 
water and the sharpest sand. The .sawing of 
moderate pieces is performed by hand ; but 
that of lai'ge slabs is most econouiically done 
by a proper mill. The first substance used 
in the polishing process is the sharpest sand, 
which must be worked with till tlie surface 
becomes perfectly flat. Then a second, and 
even a third simd, of increasing fineness, is 
to be applied. The next substance is emery, 
of jjrogressive degrees of fineness ; alter 
which, tripoli is employed : and the last 
polish is given with tin pvitty. The body 



COLOES FOE STAINING MAEBLE. 



with wliicli the saucl is rubbed upon Ihe 
marble is usually a plate of irou ; but, for 
the subseqiient process, a plate of had is 
used, with fine saud and i luery. The polish- 
iug-rubbers are coar.se Lncu clolhy, or lag- 
ging, wedged tight iuto au irou plauing- 
tool. lu every step of the operation, a cou- 
btaut trickling supply of water is required. 

Colors fi)r Stahiiiij? Marble.— It is ueces- 
sary to heat the marble hot, but not so hot 
as to injure it, the proper heat being that at 
which the colors nearly boil. Blue ; alkaline 
indigo dye, or turnsole with alkali. lied ; 
dragon's blood in spirits of wine. Yellow ; 
gamboge in spirits of wine. Void Color ; sal- 
ammoniac, sulphate of zinc, and verdigris, 
equal parts. Green; sap green, in spirits of 
potiish. Brown ; tincture of logwood. Crim- 
son ; alkanet root in turpentine. Marble 
may be veined according to taste. To stain 
marble well is a difticult operation. 

To Make Superior Sandpaper.— Take a 

quantity of broken window glass (that which 
has rather a green apf)earance on the edge is 
best) pound it in an iron mortar; then have 
two or three sieves, of different degrees of 
fineness, ready for use when wanted. Take 
any good tough paper (tine cartridge is the 
best), level the knobs and lumps on both 
sides with pumicestone, tack it at each cor- 
ner on a board, and, with good clear glue, 
diluted with about one-third more water 
than is used generally for Mood-work, go 
quickly over the paper, fciking care to spread 
it oven with your brush; then, having your 
sieve ready, sift the pounded glass over it 
lightlj', yet so as to cover it in every jiart; 
let it remain till the glue is set, take it from 
the board, shake off the superfluous glass 
into the sieve, and hang it in the shade to 
dry. In two or three days it will be fit for use 
The paper will be much better than any 
you can buy, sand being frequently mixed 
with the glass to deceive the purchaser. 

Fireproof Wash for Roofs. — Shake lime 
in a close box to prevent the escape of steam. 
and when slaked pass it through a sieve. To 
every six qiiarts of this lime add one quart 
of rock salt and one gallon of water. After 
this boil and skim clean. To every five gal- 
lons of this add, by slow degrees, three quar- 
ters of a pound of i^otash and four quarts 
of fine saud. Coloring matter may be added 
if desired. Apply with a paint or whitewash 
brush. This wash looks as well as paint 
and is almost as durable as slate. It will stop 
small leaks in a roof, prevent the moss from 
growing over it, and render it incombustible 
from sparks falling en it. When applied to 
brick work, it renders the brick utterly im- 
pervious to rain; it endures as long as paint, 
and the expense is a mere trifie. 

To ineiul llubber Boots.— Dissolve small 
pieces of rubber, not vulcanized, in warm 
spirits of turpentine, to the consistence of 
thin molasses. Rub the patcli and the boot 
thoroughly with sharp sand'paper. 8mear 
both with liquid rubber five times, letting 
them dry each time. At the sixth ai)plication 



35 

apply the patch with strong prcsf.ure to the 
boot, and it is njended. Liquid rubber is 
obtainable at city diug stores 

C'liestmit r I Hiding. —Peel cff" the shflls 
with a sharp Unite, cover the kernels with 
water, and boil till their skin r( adily i)etls 
off. Then pound them in a morfcir, and to 
every cup of cliestimts add three cups of 
chopped apple, one of chopped raisins, one- 
half cuj) of sugar, and one cup of water. 
Mix thoroughly, and bake until the apple is 
tender — about half an hour. Serve cold. 

How to Make a Sol^jr Microscope.— Make 

a round hole in the window-shiiter, aboiit 
three inches in diameter, and place in il a 
glass lens of about twelve inches focal dis- 
tance. To the inside of the hole adapt a tube 
having at a small distance from tlie lens, a 
slit capable of receiving one or two very thin 
plates of glass, to which the object to be 
viewed must be affixed by means of a little 
gum water, exceedingly truuspartnt. Into 
this tube fit another, luruihhed at its anterior 
extremity with a lens half au inch focal 
distance. Place a mirror before the whole of 
the window shutter on the outside, iu such a 
manuer ns to throw the light of the sun into 
the tube, and you will have a soL.r magic 
lantern. The method of employing it is as 
Ibllows : having darkened the room, and by 
means of the mirror reflected the sun's rays on 
the glasses iu a direction parallel to the'axis, 
place some small object between the two 
moveable plates of glass, or affix it to one of 
them with very transparent gum water, and 
bring it exactly into the axis of the tube ; if 
the moveable tube be then pushed in or 
drawn out till the object be a little beyond ■ 
the focus, it will be seen painted very dis- 
tinctly on a card cr piece of white paper, 
held at a proper, distance , and will apjxarto 
be greatly magnified. A small insect will 
appear a large animal, or a hair as big as a 
walking-stick ; the eels iu vinegar, or flour 
paste will look like small seri^ents. 

The Portable Diorama is a most instruc- 
tive and delightful production of art, capa- 
ble of afiording endless and refined amuse- 
ment to all ranks and ages. A neat box con- 
tiins a series of transparent views, abbey 
ruins, sea pieces, various landscapes, Hac, 
which fit into a slight wooden frame. There 
is also a number of atmospheric, and other 
efi'ects produced by having siniikir transpa- 
rencies painted in clouds, with a rainbow, with 
a moon, or merely yAmu pieces of silk, of crim- 
son, yellow, ic, any of which being [jlaced 
behind the first mentioned views, (and oc- 
casionally combined with a moveable gauze 
curtaiu.) imjiart to them all the changes of 
morniug, evening, dawn, sunset, moonlight, 
.tc, &.C.. and gratify the spectator wi'h the 
most charming aud -picturesque cbauges. 
Objects seem to take novel jiosi'ions.and the 
eutire scenes, have all their relatic ns \aried 
from tempest to profound rejjose. It is really 
difficult to imagine seeing them, how mate- 
rials so uniniposing in their forms should be 
made to convey such gratification to the mind. 



BEONZINF FOE lEON, WOOD, ETC. 



Bronzing for Iron or Wood.— First, mnke 
a black paiut ; then put in a little chrume- 
yellow, only sufficient to give it a dark gretn 
shade ; apply a coat of this to the article to 
be bronzed ; when dry, give it a coat of var- 
nish ; and when the varnish is a little dry, 
du ,t on bronze by dipping a piece of velvLt 
into the bronze and shaKiug it upon the var- 
nish ; then give it another coat of varnish, 
and when dry, all is complete. 

IJronzing of Metals and Ornaments of 
Copper Electrotyites, elc— 1- Having thor- 
oughly cleaned aud polished the snrtace oi 
the >pecimen, with a brush apply the common 
crocus i:)owder, previously made into a paste 
with water. AVhen dry, place it in an iron 
ladle, or on a common tire shovel, over a clear 
fire about 1 minute ; and when sufficiently 
cool polish with a pl.ite brush. By this jiro- 
cess a bronze similar to that on tea-urns is 
produced ; the shude depending upon the 
duration of the exposure to the tire. 

2. By substituting finelj'-powdered plum- 
bago for crocus powder in the above process 
a beautiful, deep and jDermanent bronze ap- 
pearance is produced. 

3. Bub the metal with a solution of livers 
of sulphur or snlphuret of i^otassium, then 
dr}'. This produces the appearance of an- 
tique bronze very exactly. 

4. Dissolve 2 oz. of verdigris and 1 oz. of 
sal ammouiiicin 1 pint of vinegar, and dilute 
the mixture with water I'.ntil it tastes but 
slightly metallic, when it must be boiled a 
few minutts, aud filtered for use. Copper 
medals, etc., previously thoroughly cleaned 
from grease aud dirt, are to be steej^ed in tlie 
liquor at the boiling point, until the desired 
ettect is produced. Care must be taken not 
to keep them in the solution too loug. When 
ttdien out, they should be carefully washed 
in hot water, aud well dried. Gives an an- 
tique appeaiauce. 

5. (Chinese method. ) IMake a paste with 
2 oz. each of verdigris and vermilion ; 5 oz. 
each of alnm aud sal amoniac, all in fine 
powder, aud vinegar, q. s. ; then spread it 
over the surface of the copper, previously 
■well cleaued and bri ^itened, uniforndy warui 
the article by the fire, and afterwards well 
wash aud dry it, when, if the tint be not deeji 
enough, the process may be repeated. The 
addition of a little bine vitriol inclines the 
color to a chestnut brown, aud a little borax 
to ayill)wihh brown. Jluch emijloj^ed by 
the Chinese for copper tea-urns. 

G. Dissolve 1 oz. of sal ammoniac, 3 oz. 
cream of tartar, and 6 oz. of common salt, 
in 1 pint of hot water ; then add 2 oz. of 
nitrate copper, dissolved in A a pint of water; 
mix well, and apply it repeatedly to the arti- 
cle, i^l iced in a damp situation, by means of 
a brush moistened therewith. Very antique. 

7. Salt of sorrel 4 oz.; sal ammoniac, 1 
oz. ; distilled vinegar 25 pints ; dissolve. As 
last 



Bronze for Mortars. — Copper 93 pafts ; 
lead 5 parts ; tin 2 parts. The edges aud 
lips of mortars must be tempered by heat 
ing them to a cherry red, and then pluug- 
ing them into cold water ; as unless so treat- 
ed, they are very apt to be broken. 

Bronze for Ornamental Work to be Gild- 
ed. — 1. Copper H2 parts ; zinc 18 parts V tin 
3 parts ; lead 2 parts. 

2. Cojiijer 83 parts j zinc 17 parts . tin 1 
part ; lead ^ part. 

Bronze Po^vder. — 1. (Beautiful red) Mix 
together suljjhate of copper ILU parts ; car- 
bonate of soda GO parts ; apply heat until 
thej' unite in a ma.ss, then (;uc;l, powder, and 
add copper filings 1.5 parts ; well mix, and 
keep them at a white htat for 20 minutes, 
then cool, powder, aud wash and dry. 

2. (Gold Colored. ) Verdigris 8 oz ; tutty 
IDOwder 4 oz ; borax aud nitre, of each 2 oz ; 
bichloride of merciiry, 4 oz ; make tliem into 
a paste with oil, and fuse them together. 
Used in japanning as a gold color. 

3. Dutch leaf reduced to an inpal^^able pow- 
der by grinding. 

4. (Iron colored. ) Plumbago finely pow- 
dered. 

5. (Silver white) Melt together 1 oz. each 
of bisnnith and tin, then add 1 oz. of run- 
ning quicksilver ; cool and powder. 

Bronze for Statnary.— 1. Copper 88 parts; 
tin 9 parts ; zinc 2 parts ; lead 1 part. 

2. Copper 822 parts ; tin 5 parts ; zinc lOi 
parts ; lead 2 part.s. These are very nearly 
the proportions in the celebrated statue of 
Louis XV. 

3. Copper 90 parts ; tin 9 parts ; lead 1 
part. 

4. Copper 91 pnrts ; tin 9 parts. 

Bronzing, Surface.— This term is applied 
to the process of imparting to the surface of 
figure.5 of wood, plaster of Paris, etc., a me- 
tallic appearauce. This is done by first giv- 
ing them a coat of oil or size varmsh, and 
when this is nearly dry, applying with a dab- 
ber of cotton or a camel-hair peucil. any of 
the metallic bronze powders ; or tlio powder 
maj' be placed in a little bag of muslin, aud 
dusted over the surface, and afterwards fin- 
ished off with a wad of bnen. The surface 
must be afterwards varnished. 

Paper is brf^nzed by mixing the powders 
up with a little gum and water, and after- 
wards burnishing. 

Iron castings may be bronzed by thorough 
cleaning and subsequent immersion in a so- 
lution of sulphate c-f copper, when they ac- 
quii-e a coat of the latter metal. They must 
be then washed in water. 

Bronze (Vinegar) for Brass. — Vinegar 10 
gals.; blue vitriol, 3 lbs.; muriatic acid, 3 
lbs. ; corrosive sublimate, 4 grs.; sal ammonia 
2 lbs.; alum, S oz. 



PKECKLE-CTTEE. 



?7 



Preckle-Cure. — Waah tlie face night and 
morniiig in half a pint of water, to which 
the juice of one lemon has been added. 

Bronze Powders. — Bright yellow — cop- 
per 83 parts, zinc 17; orange — copper flO to 
95. zinc r. to 10; copper red — copper 'J 7 to 
Di), zinc 1 to 3. 

Barnet's Certain Preventive for the 
Potato Rot. — Sow nuleached ashes over 
the field once a week for six or seven weeks, 
con)ineiicing soon after the second hoeing. 
Apply two or three bushels to the acre, 
using care to dust the tops well. 

Laundry Blue. — A good washing bine is 
made as follows : Make a solution of prus- 
siate of potash, 2 ounces, and another of 
protosnlphiite of iron, 1 ounce. Add the 
second gradually to the first, until the pre- 
cipitate almost ceases to fall, then strain 
through linen ; add water, and continue the 
washing until the blue color begins to dis- 
Bolve in it, when it may be at once dissolved 
in distilled water and dried. 

The Secret of Raising Fine Quinces. 

— Purchase the orange variety, and set the 
trees from six to eight feet apart in rich soil. 
Bandage the stem with two or three wrap- 
pings of old cloth as far down in the ground 
as possible, as the roots start from near the 
surface. Let the bandages run six or eight 
inches above the ground, then pack the soil 
a couple of inches around the bandages. 
This should be renewed every spring. 

To Separate Honey from Wax. — Put 
honeycomb and all in a tin pan upon a mod- 
erately warm stove, adding a tablespoonful 
of water to each pound of honey. Stir occa- 
sionally with a piece of wire until the con- 
tcTits of the pan are in a liquid condition. 
Po not allow boiling to begin. Remove the 
pan from the fire, and set it aside to cool. 
The cake of wax. to which all imimrities will 
adhere, may then be carefully lifted ofl' with 
a knife. 

Gold Lacquer, closely resembling the 
real Chinese article, is made by first melting 
to a perfectly fluid mixture two parts copnl 
and one part shellac. To this add two parts 
good boiled oil. Remove the vessel from 
the fire, and gradually mix in ten parts oil 
of turpentine. To give color, add a solution 
of gum guttas in turpentine for yellow, or of 
dragon's blood for red, a sufficient quantity 
of coloring material being used to give the 
desired shade. 

Tinned Iron "Wire. — A new process for 
making tinned iron wire consists in first im- 
mersing it in a bath of muriatic acid in which 
n piece of zinc is suspended. After the acid 
has produced a new surface on the wire, it is 
placed in communication with a sheet of zinc 
in a bath of 2 parts acetic acid in 100 parts 
■water, to which 3 parts chloride of tin and 
3 parts soda are added. The wire is allowed 
to remain two hours in this mixture, after 
which it may be polished. 



To Silver Cast-Iron. — 1.'') grains of ni- 
trate of silver are dissolved in 2r)0 grains of 
water, and 30 grains cyanide of potassium 
are added ; when the sohition is complete, 
the aquid is poured into 700 grains of water 
whei"ein 15 grains of common salt have been 
previously dissolved. The cast-iron intended 
to be silvered by this solution should, after 
having been well cleaned, be placed for a few 
minutes in a bath of nitric acid of 1 2 sj>ecific 
gravity just before being placed in the silver- 
ing fluid. 

To Give Cast-Iron the Appearance 
of Bronze, without coating it wiih any 
metal or alloy. — 'J'ho article to be so treated 
is first cleaned, and then coated with a uni- 
form film of some vegetable oil. This done, 
it is exposed in a furnace to the action of a 
high temperature, which, however, must not 
be. strong enough to carbonize the oil. In 
this way the cast-iron absorbs oxygen at the 
moment the oil is decomposed, and there is 
formed at the surface a thin coat of brown 
oxide, which adheres very strongly to the 
metal, and will admit of a high ]iolish, giving 
it quite the appearance of tine bronze. 

To give Black Walnut a Fine Polish, 
so as to resemble rich old wood, apply a coat 
of shellac varnish, and then rub it with a 
piece of smooth pumice-stone until dry. 
Another coat may be given, and the rubbing 
repeated. After this, a coat of polish, made 
of linseed-oil, beeswax, and tm-pentine, may 
be well rubl)ed in with a dauber, made of a 
piece of sponge tightly wrapped in a piece 
of fine flannel several times folded, and 
moistened with the poli.sh. If the work is 
not fine enough, it may be smoothed with 
the finest sandpaper, and the rubbing re- 
peated. In the course of time the\\alnut 
becomes very dark and rich in color, and in 
everyway is superior to that which has been 
varnished. 

Coloring Butter. — As a rule, it is abso- 
lutely essential in the Avinter to color butter 
in order to make it marketable, or at all at- 
tractive as an article of table use at home. 
There may be a possible exception to this 
rule, in cases where cows are fed largely 
upon yellow corn, pumpkins, carrots, etc., 
but this does not lessen the importance of 
the rule. Of the various substances used in 
coloring butter, we think that carrots (of the 
deep yellow variety) give the nmst naturs.l 
color and the most agreeable flavor. An- 
notto, however, is principally used, aud 
with most satisf ictory results. Some of the 
most celebrated butter-makers in the 
countiy color their butter with pure annotto, 
giving it a rich, deep orange color. If car- 
rots are used, take two large-sized ones, 
clean them thoroughly, and then with a 
knife scrape off the yellow exterior, leaving 
the white pith ; soak the yellow jtart in boil- 
ing milk for ten or fifteen minutes. Strain 
boiling hot into the cream ; this gives the 
cream the desired temperature, colors it 
nicely, and adds to the sweetness of the 
butter. 



■S8 



BAEED INDIAN PUDDING. 



Baked Indian Pudding.— ScaUl a 

■quart of milk, and -while bailing thicken it 
with a pint of corn meal, remove fioni th« 
fire, thin with cold milk to the consistency 
■of batter, add two well-beaten eggs, a cnp 
of raisins, sugir to taste, a little salt, cinna- 
mon or nutmeg, and bake two or three hom-s 
in a moderate oven. 

Rye Cakes. — To one teacnp of vhite 
sugar add two well beaten eggs, a piece of 
butter the size of an egg, one quart of milk. 
Mix thoroughly with a quart of rye meal, 
two teaspooufuls of cream tartar, and one 
of soda; stir this into the milk and eggs. 
and 'add enough more to make a thick 
batter. Drop on a well greased pan and 
bake half an hour. 

To Clean Brass Ornaments. — Brass 
ornaments, that have not been gilt or lac- 
quered, may be cleaned, and a very brill- 
iant color given to them, by washing them 
with alum boiled in strong lye, in the pro- 
portion of an ounce to a pint, and afterward 
rubbing them with a strong tripoli. 

To Take Ink Out of Boards.— Strong 
mi;riatic acid, or spirits of salts, applied 
with a piece of cloth; afterward well washed 

To Keep tlie Hair from Falling Out. 
"Wash the head every week in salt water and 
rub the skin of the bead with a dry coarse 
towel. Then apply a dressing composed of 
bay rum and sweet oil, with which a drop of 
tincture of cantharides has been mingled. 
This will stimulate the skin, and keep the 
hair from frilling out and turning gray. The 
dressing for the hair may be scented with 
cinnamon oil or some such warming essence. 

Potato Pie-Crust. — To half a dozen 
good sized potatoes boiled and mashed fine 
add a teacupful of rich sweet cream, a little 
salt, and flour enough to roll out the crust. 
Handle as little as possible and do not put it 
at the bottom of the pie, as it will be 
clammy, but only around the rim of tlie 
plate, and over the top. Prick the upper 
crust to let the steam out. This pastry may 
be en ten with impunity by the most con- 
firmed dyspeptic. 

To Stain "Wood. — 1. Wash the wood 
with a solntioti of sulphuric acid and water, 
made in tiie proportion of 1 oz. to a pint of 
warm water. Mix when wanted; put on 
warm, and wash evenly over every part. 
2. Stain the wood thus prepared with tobacco 
stain, using a piece of flannel or sponge, 
rubbing it in lightly. To make the stain, 
take G lbs. common shag tobacco, cover with 
water and boil, letting it simmer slowly 
away till of the consistence of syrup. Strain 
for use. 3. When entirely dry, brush it over 
with the following mixture : i lb. beeswax, 
i pint linseed-oil, 1 pint boiled linseed-oil. 
This may be omitted, and the wood simply 
varnished and jiolished instead. When it is 
desired to give the tone of light oak or maple, 
the solution of sulphuric acid should be much 
weaker, and only a light coat of the stain 
need. When a dark tone is preferred, two 
coats of the staiu should Le put ou. 



To Dye Wool '^lack. — According to the 
following recipe, the dye does not rub off, 
the fil)ers remain loose, and the wool has a 
desirable reddish cast : Boil the thoroughly 
washed wool well for an hour and a half in a 
bath composed, for 100 lbs. of wool, of 2^ 
lbs. of chromate of potash, 2^ lbs. of alum, 
^ lb. of blue vitriol, and 2 lbs. of commercial 
sulphuric acid, and dye it, withoTit rinsing, 
in fresh water, with 20 lbs. of logwood and 
20 lbs. of Brazil wood. It is advantageous 
for the color to allow the wool to remain in 
the mordant for 12 hours. 

Artificial Gems. — The base used in 
making artificial gems is strass, obtained by 
melting together G drachms carbonate of 
soda, 2 drachms burnt borax, ] drachm salt- 
petre, 3 drachms minium, and H ounces 
purest white sand. To imitate in color the 
following nunerals, add to the strass the in- 
gredients named in connection with each 
gem: Sapphire, 10 grains carbonate of co- 
balt; opal. 10 grains oxide of col >alt, I,') grains 
oxide of manganese, and from 20 to 30 grains 
protoxide of iron ; amethyst, 4 to 5 grains 
carbonate of peroxide of manganese ; gold 
topaz. 30 grains oxide of uranium ; emerald, 
20 grains protoxide of iron and 10 grains 
carbonate of copper. 

A Good Diirable Wliitewash. — Take 
half a bushel o^ freshly burnt lime, slake it 
with boiling water; cover it during the pro- 
cess, to keep in the steam. Strain the 
liquid through a fine sieve, and add to it 
7 lbs. of salt, previously well dissolved in 
warm water ; 3 lbs. of ground rice, boiled to 
a thin paste and stirred in boiling hot : j lb. 
of powdered Spanish whiting; 1 lb. of clean 
glue, which has been previou.sly dissolved 
by soaking it well, and then banging it over 
a slow fire in a small kettle, wiihin a large 
one filled with water. Add 5 gallons of hot 
water to the mixture, stir it well, and let it 
stand a few days covered from dirt. It must 
be put on quite hot. For this pur]iose it can 
be kept in a kettle on a portable furnace. 

To Make Corn-Cribs Rat Proof. — 

Take posts 10 or II feet long and eight 
inches square ; mortise 2 feet from one end ; 
for end sills, 2-inch mortise with tusk. 
Taper post from sill to the end. by hewing 
oif inside until the end is reduced to 4 
inches diameter; make smooth with the 
draw-knife, and nail on tin smooth half way 
to the end, below the sill. Let sills be 8 
inches square, also end-tie them and the 
rafier-plates strong with moderate inter- 
ties. Brace well," and lath up and down with 
^ inch lath ; dove-tail or counter-sink joints 
crosswise; lay the floor, and board up the 
ends with ungrooved boai'ds : let each liend 
be 12 feet long, G feet wide at the sill, and 
7-^- feet at plale; and, if full to peak, it will 
hold 2.")0 bushels. If preferred, lay the floor 
with lath or narrow boards, with room for 
ventilation. Each post should st;ind ou 
stone, and be about 3 inches from the 
ground, and each stone have a foundation 2 
feet square and below the frost. 



TH3 AET OF COLOniXG BH.VSS. 



39 



The Art of Coloring Brass. — An orange 
tint inclining to gold is produced hy first 
polishing tbe brass and then plunging it for 
a few seconds in a warm neutral solution of 
crystnllizod acetate of copper. Dipping into 
a ijath of copper, the resnlting tint is a gray- 
ish green ; while a beautiful violet is obtained 
by immersing the metal for an instant in a 
Bolnfion of chloride of antimony and rubbing 
it with a stick covered with cotton. During 
this operation the brass should be heated to 
a degree just tolerable to the touch. A moire 
appearance, vastly superior to that nsuallj' 
seen, is prodJiced by boiling the object in a 
solution of sulphate of copper. There are 
two methods of procuring a black Incquer 
on the surface of brass. The first, which is 
usually employed by instrument-makers, 
consists in polishing the object with tripoli 
and washing it with a mixture composed of 
nitrate of tin one part, chloride of gold two 
parts. Allow this wash to remain for fifteen 
minutes, then wipe it off with a linen cloth. 
An excess of acid increases the intensity of 
the tint. In the second method, copper 
turnings are dissolved in nitric acid until 
the latter is saturated ; the objects are im- 
mersed in the solution, cleaned, and subse- 
quentlv heated moderately over a charcoal 
fire. This process ruust be repeated in order 
to produce a bl-ick color, as the first trial 
only gives a dark green. Finally, polish 
•with olive-oil. Much pains are taken to give 
objects '"an English look." For this j\ur- 
pose, they are first lieated to redness and 
then dipped in a weak solution of siilphuric 
acid. Afterward the}' are immersed in dilute 
nitric acid, thorouglily washed in water, and 
dried in sawdust. To effect a uniformity in 
the color, they are plunged in a bath con- 
sisting of two parts nitric acid and one part 
rain-water, where they are suffered to remain 
for. severid minutes. Should the color not 
be free from spots and patches, the opera- 
tions must be repeated until the desired 
effect is produced. 

To make Cheese. — The following de- 
scriptioii of how cheese is made is by a noted 
dairyman, who has taken many first pre- 
miums at State Fairs: In the first place, we 
keep every vessel and everything connected 
with cheese-making scrupulously clean. We 
are careful to have our milking done in a 
cleanly way. If necessary we wash the cow's 
bag with water, and wipe dry before milking, 
never allowing the milker to wet or moisten 
the cow's teats with milk. We strain the 
evening's milk through two thicknesses of 
cloth into the cheese-vat, having previously 
filled the space between the two vats with 
cold water; and, if the weather is extremely 
warm, we change the water during the night, 
generally before retiring to bed. 

The milk is stirred gently until reduced 
to sixty-five or seventy degrees, when it is 
left until morning, when the cream is 
ekinamed off and mixed with warm morning's 
milk and stirred until melted, and it is then 
passed through the strainer into the vnt, to 
be mixed with the evening's milk. A fire is 



made in the stove connected with the vat, 
so by the time tbe milking is com]>leted tho 
heat of the milk in the vat will mark eighty- 
two to eighty-four degrees, — the milk having 
been gently stirred most of the time since 
the fire was started, so as to have evening's 
and morning's milk and cream thoroughly 
mixed. We add the rennet at eighty-two 
degrees in hot, and eighty-four degrees in 
cold weather, shutting off the heat at this 
point. The quantity of rennet depends on 
its strength ; we wish to use only enough to 
biing the curd in from thirty to forty-five 
mitiutes. We do not color our curd, as we 
think that it injures the flavor, and is a prac- 
tice that should be abolished, — annatto, with 
which the curd is colored, being so often 
adulterated with red lead. 

When the curd breaks with a good, clean 
fracture, we cut it both ways with the curd- 
knife, which will leave the curd standing in 
half-inch columns. The heat is now applied 
or started, and when the columns of curd 
will break clean over the finger, leaving no 
soft, milky curd, we stir or lift it up by pass- 
ing both hands under it, very gently raising 
it from the bottom to the top, and so break 
atid mix it up. Then we let it rest a few 
minutes, stirring it occasionnlly with tho 
curd-board nntil the curd hardens a little, 
and the heat has risen to ninety degrees, 
when we ctit it very gently at first, not so 
mtich so as the curd hardens ; as the heat 
rises we cut it nntil it is about as fine as the 
size of wheat or barley. 

Of course we do not do this in a hurry, 
and we occasionally let the curd rest. It 
should be done with gre^t rare, so as not to 
work out the cream; this cutting process 
will take from two to three hours. When 
the heat has risen to one hundred d(»grees 
we shut it off, stirring the curd frpquenily. 
so that it will not settle on tho bottom of 
the vat. 

We cook the curd nntil it loses its luilky 
and glossy appearance, feels a little firm in 
the h:ind. and the particles are looking a 
little contracted or shruidcen. rendily drop- 
ping apart after pressing a hnndfnl of it to- 
gether, and the whey, if all has been done 
right, will have a green shade. We now put 
the curd-strainer in the vat and ruti off the 
whey; then stir and cool the curd before 
you apply the salt, breaking the lumps, if 
any, mnking it fine and lively, u^ing two 
and a half pounds of AshtoTi salt for one hun- 
dred pounds of curd. Mix it thoroughlj', 
and do not put it to press until cool. 

Press from two to three hours : then take 
out the cheese, turn and bandage it, return 
it to the press, anVl let it remain until the 
next curd needs its jilace. having been in 
the press about twenty-four hours. The 
cheese, after being taken from the press, is 
weighed and put on the rack to cure; the 
next day it is greased with the oil or butter 
made from whey colored with ainintto, and 
kept at altout seventy degrees ; turned and 
rnbbed with oil daily for three months, when 
they are ready for market. 



40 



TREE OP LEAD. 



Tree of Lead. — Dissolve an ounce of 
sng:u" of lead in a quart of clean water, and 
put it into a glass decanter or g]ol)e. Tbeu 
sns]iend in the solution, near tbe top, a smnll 
piece of zinc of an irregular shape. Let it 
stiind undistnrhed for a day, and it will he- 
gin to shoot out into leaves, and apparently 
to vegetate. If left undisturbed for a few 
days, it will become extremely heautiful ; 
but it must be moved with grent caution. 
It may appear to those unacquainted Mith 
chemistry, that a piece of zinc actually puts 
out leaves; but this is a mistake, for, if the 
zinc be examined, it will be found nearly 
unaltered. This phenomenon is owing to 
the zinc having a greater attraction for oxy- 
gen than the lead has ; consequently, it tfdves 
it from the osyde of lead, which re-appears 
in its metallic state. 

Razor Paper. — This article supersedes 
the use of the ordinary strop. By merely 
wiping the razor on the paper, to remove 
the lather after shaving, a keen edge is al- 
ways maintained without farther trouble. 
Only one caution is necessary — that is, to 
begin with a sharp razor, and then ''the 
paper" will keep it in that state for years. 
It luBV be prepared thus: First, procure 
oxide of iron (by the addition of carbonale 
of soda to a solution of persulphate of iron), 
well wash the precipitate, and finally leave 
it of the consistency of cream. Secondly, 
procure a good paper, soft and thin, theti 
with a soft brush spread over the ))iiper (on 
one side only) very thinly the moist oxide 
of iron — dry, and cut into two-inch square 
pieces. It is then fit for use. 

"Wine made from the Wild Grape. — 

Many a housekeeper feels the inconvenience 
of a protracted absence from home in sum- 
mer, when she views her shortened allowance 
of stores in the way of preserves, pickles, 
and home-made wines. Yet even late in the 
fall she may find room for activity. The 
siuhU wild grape, known to boys as the "bird 
grape," never attiiins its full sweetness until 
after the fallof frost, and makes aa excellent 
wine fiu" culinary purposes. Mash the grapes 
in a large t)owi or tub with a mallet, and 
keep (hem in a warm place until tliere is 
some sign of fermentation setting in. Then 
strain the juice by dripping through a flannel 
bag or strong yet slightly porous cotton 
cloth. To tliree quarts of juice add one 
quart of water and three pounds of light 
brown sugar. If yon put it away in a demi- 
john, select a warm, dry closet, and tie up 
the mouth closely with a piece of thin mus- 
lin. Do not cork up tight until the whole 
process is complete. It will be all the V)etter 
if fermentation ensues speedily, but if the 
place of deposit is not warm enough, never 
mind ; as soon as the first warm days of 
spring come, it will go on to ferment as 
though there had been no interruption to 
the process, and be none the worse for the 
delay. Afier all, it will make wine much 
sooner than if you waited even for black- 
berry season. 



To Renovate a Razor-Strop. — 1. Rub 
a little clean tallow over the surface, and 
then put on it the light top jiart of tlie snuif 
of a candle; rub it smooth. Excellent. — 
2. Rub the .strop well with a piece of soft 
pewter or lead. 

Indelible Ink.— Two fifths of 1 lb. tar- 
taric acid are dissolved in (!l cul):c iuchea 
hot water; in one half of the solution dis- 
solve one fifth oily anilin ; add the other 
half, and then one-fifth pound chli)rate of 
potassium. Allow the solution to cool and 
subdue until the next day ; filter from the 
bitartrate, and bring the liquid to the den- 
sity of seven degrees B. Thicken sufiiciently 
with gum araliic, and add to each cubic inch 
one twenty-fifth pound copper sulphate, dis- 
solved in a little water. This ink may be at 
once used for printing muslin and other 
fabrics, upon which the black color will \>e 
perfectly developed by bleaching liqtiids. 
Chlorate of copper is also used for writing 
upon zinc used lor signs and labels exposed 
to the weather. 

Repairing Roads. — This is an operation 
wliicli id orsliould be performed immediately 
after the seitUiig" of tiie ground in liie .spring. 
In agricultural districts it is often deferred 
till later in the season. In tiiis ctise the hibor 
of putting a road in good condition is often 
doubhHl. It is as true of roads as of miment 
tiuit "a stitcli in time saves nine," and if for 
tlie word stitcli we substitute ditch, tlie old 
sa\y will be even more forcible in il.s pieaning. 

Winter makes sad havoc in ll'.e earth roads 
wliicli ititersect the country in all (lire"tioiis. 
His fro.'^ts upheave, and the springs washout 
deepgiUlpys and ruts, and when at last the 
reign of frost is over, that which was straight 
is all crooked; level places are changed into 
alteriuiie rises and depressions, stones are 
left on tlie top, and, in short, these roads 
become sloughs of despond in which loaded 
teams wallow in despair, and wheie wagons 
are left standing for weeks up to the hubs in 
mud, simply because it is beyond the power 
of hoi'se-llesh to e.xtricate them. 

If, when the mud has dried, the ruts were 
filled at once, and the ditches at the wayside 
opened, much would be gained; but as this 
is generally neglected, the June thunder- 
storms have things all their own way. Sluices 
are filled, bridges undermined and washed 
away, and, finally, when tiie "roadmaster" 
summons the inhabitants to turn out and 
work on the road, they find i)lenty to do. 
The road is at hist put into passaliie condi- 
tion, and remains so till the full rains and 
the marketing wagons again cut them till uj), 
and the snow following hides tlieni from view 
till the ensuing spring. 

An old farmer once remarked to us that 
there is no other work done by farmers that 
liays so well as road-making; but tliere are 
few of them that are far-sighted enough to 
see that the saving effected by good rotids in 
the current expenses of repairs in wagons 
and harnesses, and the increase of loads 
which can be carried, pay liberally for the 
work, which they do grudgingly, when at last ' 
it is performed. i 



TO MEND CKACKS IN STOVE'5. 



41 



To mend Cracks in Stoves.— Take 
equal parts of wood ashes and common salt, 
and mix them to a proper consistence with 
•water ; with this fill the cracks. 

To Cure Rheumatism in Horses.— 

Crude coal-oil. 1 pint; strong vinegar. ^ pint; 
turpentine. | pint ; mixed, and well shaken. 
To be rubbed on mornings and nights. 

To keep Stoves from Rusting.— Kero- 
sene applied with a cloth to stoves will keep 
them from rusting during the summer. It 
is also an excellent material to apply to all 
iron utensils nsed about a farm. 

Sweet Tincture of Rhubarb.— Take of 
rhubarb, bruised, 2 ounces; liquorice-root, 
bruised. 2 ounces; aniseed, bruised, 1 ounce; 
sugar, 1 ounce ; diluted alcohol, 2 pints. 
Macerate for fourteen days, express and 
filter. 

Compound Tincture of Rhubarb. — 
Take of rhubarb, sliced, 2 ounces; liquorice 
root, bruised, i ounce ; ginger, powdered, 
saffron, each 2" drachms; distilled water, 1 
pint; proof spirits of wine, 12 ounces by 
measure. Digest for 14 days, and strain. 
Dose, half ounce as au aperient ; or one 
onuce in violent diarrhoea. 

Flexible Sulphur. — By adding to pure 
sulphur a foui'-huudredth part of chlorine or 
iodine it becomes very soft, so that it may 
be spread in thin leaves as flexible as leaves 
of wax. 

To make Sulphurous Acid. — To 12 
ounces of sulphuric acid, in a glass retort, 
add 2 ounces of sulphur, and apply a gentle 
heat. This is a cheap and easy process. 

Sulphureted Hydrogen. — Pour dilute 
sulphuric acid on sulphuret of iron. This is 
made by applying a rt)ll of sulphur to a bar 
of iron heated M'hite hot, or by heating in a 
crucilile a mixture of 2 parts, by weight, of 
iron filings and 1 of flowers of sulphur. 

Syrup cf Phosphate of Iron and 
Lime. — Take of phosphate of iron 96 grains; 
phosphate of lime 1!I2 grains; water 8 fluid 
drachms; syrupy phosphoric acid 8 fluid 
drachms; syrup 10 fluid ounces. Mix the 
powders with the water in a glass mortar, 
add the acid, and filter into the syrup. Each 
fluid drachm contains 1 grain iron, 2 grains 
lime, and equivalent to 30 minims dilute 
phosphoric acid. 

The phosphate of lime is made by precipi- 
tation from solutions of chloride of calcium 
and phosphate of soda, dried at 100 degrees 
Fah., and used whilst fresh. That made 
from bone-ash is much less soluble. 

Syrup of Phosphate of Iron and 
Quinine. — Take of phosphate of iron 192 
grains ; phosphate of quinia 9(5 grains ; 
^^;ater 7 fluid di'achms ; syrupy phosphoric 
acid 9 fluid drachms; syrup 10 fluid ounces. 
Rub the powders with water, add the acid, 
and filter into syrup. Each fluid drachm 
contains 2 grains iron and 1 grain quinine. 



Syrup of Phosphate of Manganese. 

Take of pho-^phate of manganese 9(1 grains; 
water 9 fluid drachms; syrupy phosphoric 
acid 7 fluid drachms; syrup 10 fluid ounces. 
To be made as the above. Strength, 1 grain 
manganese salt and 25 minims of acid to 
fluid drachm. 

Permanent Ink for Marking Linen. 
— Take of lunar caustic (now called argent'^m 
nitratum) one drachm ; weak solution c 
tincture of gall, two drachms. The cloth 
must be first wetted with the following 
liquid, viz , salt of tartar, one ounce ; water, 
one ounce and a half; and must l)e perfectly 
dry before any attempt ia made to write 
upon it. 

To make Cheque-Paper. — Paper may 
be prepared for bank che jues and other 
documents so that any vriung in ink, once 
made thereon, can not be altered without 
leaving plainly visible marks, liy passing the 
sheets through a solution composed of 015 
grain gallic acid to one gill distilled watei\ 

Liquid Glue. — One part phosphoric acid, 
specific gravity 1 "120, diluted with two parts 
watei', is nearly neutralized with ammonium 
carbonate, one part of water added, and 
then, in a porcelain vessel, sufficient glue 
dissolved in the liquid to obtain a syrupy 
consistence. It must be kept in well closed 
bottles. The addition of glycerine or sugar 
would cause the glue to gelatinize. 

Refining Sugar. — A German paper men- 
tions a new process of refining sugar, iu 
which the saccharine juice, after Vjeiiig clari- 
fied iu the usual way by means of lime and 
carbonic acid, is precipitated at boiling tem- 
perature with caustic baryta (GO parts of the 
latter for every 100 of sugar), the jirecipitate 
suspended in water and deconqiosed with 
carbonic acid. A pure solution of sugar is 
obtained, which only requires to be evap- 
orated. 

To Clean Stone Facades. — It has been 
ascertained that the jet of water thrown 
from a steam fire-engine has the power of 
removing the discoloration jiroduced by the 
smoke, without injuring the face of the stone. 
The work is done from the ground, the force 
of the stiream thrown by the steam fire-engine 
being quite sufficient to effect the necessary 
cleansing. 

Artificial Stone. — White — Alum, 1 lb.; 
water, 1 gal. Dissolve; then steep in this 
liquor calcined gypsum, f cwt. Next dry 
for eight days in the open air, and calcine 
at a dull red heat ; grind and sift, and form 
into a paste with water; when hard apply a 
thin layer of the above paste over the surface 
with a brush ; when quite hard, polish with 
pumice, &c. , in the usual way. — Cream 
Color — Alum, 1 lb.; copperas, h lb.; water, 
9 pints. Dissolve ; and proceed as before. 

■Waterproof Glue. — Boil one pound of 
common glue iu two quarts of skimmed 
milk. This withstands the action of the 
weather. 



42 



To CTJEE OK\CKED HEELS IN HOESES. 



To Cure Cracked Heels in Horses. — 

Take powdered gnin camphor A ounce, pow- 
dered gnni myrrh 1 ounce, sulphuric acid 
1 ounce, spirits of turpentine 1 ounce, and 
liird 1 pint. Mix thoroughly, and rub on 
the affected limbs once a day. Wash the 
legs with soapsuds, and wipe dry before 
using. To prevent the affection, keep your 
stable and lot clean, and be sure that your 
horse is well groomed. 

Sore Mouth in a Horse. — Tf caused by 
ragged teetlj, they should be filed off. If 
nothing of the kiifd is found, sponge the 
mouth with a strong decoction of sage leaves, 
in which alum is dissolved. A few applica- 
tions of this will probably be effective. It 
might be advisable to feed the mare npon 
cut hay or fodder moistened and mixed with 
bran and meal, a little linseed-meal being 
given as a gentle laxative. 

Cure for the Heaves in Horses. — Very 
bad Crises of heaves have been cured by 
simply feeding the animal upon cut and 
moistened feed, of very good quality and in 
sniall quantities, three times a day. For in- 
stance, four pounds of timothy hay and three 
quarts of feed made of equal quantities of 
oats, corn, and wheat bran ground together. 
"With this was mixed a sniall quantity of salt, 
and twice a week one dram of siilphate of 
iron and naif an ounce of ground gentian 
root were given in tlie feed. A liberal bran 
mash every evening will also be very useful. 
A liorse that can not be cured by this treat- 
ment is of no value, and may be considei^d 
past cure. 

Greasy Heels. — The treatment adapted 
to this attack consists in an internal as well 
as external medication. Give your animal a 
drench composed of raw linseed-oil, twelve 
ounces; calomel and tartar-emetic, of each 
one drachm ; iodide of sulphur and potas- 
sium, of each one drachm. Mix these thor- 
oughly together in a smooth-necked bottle 
or drencliing-horn, and give every fifth day 
three times, and stop for one week, and give 
again in the same manner, and stop. Give 
one drachm of powdered sulphur, bloodi'oot, 
and sulpliate of iron in the food, slightly 
dampened, every night. Cleanse the heels 
well twice a day with strong ley, made by 
dissolving .sal-soda in boiling water. This 
being done, if there is any protid flesh per- 
ceptible, touch it, by means of a camel's 
hair brush. with acaustic composed of nitrate 
of silver, one drachm ; cold water, one ounce. 
In fifteen minutes after, wash the heels over 
with sulphuric acid, two fluid drachms, mixed 
into two quarts of cold water. When the 
parts are thoroughly dried, which will be in 
twenty minutes, dress the heels with an oint- 
ment composed of glycerine, three ounces; 
crude carbolic acid and iodide of sulphur, of 
each two ounces, well mixed together. This, 
no doubt, will, if properly applied, be found 
efficacious in removing this trouble, l)ut will 
have to be followed for some time in order 
to produce the desired effect. 



Black Tongue in Cattle. — The symp- 
toms are inflammation of the month, swell- 
ing of the head and face, discharge of bloody 
saliva, and high fever marks the first stages. 
Ulcers soon appear under and on the sides 
of the tongue. Then the throat and neck 
swell, and if the disease is not checked gan- 
grene ensues and the animal dies. The dis- 
ease is said to yield readily to early and 
proper treatment. The following has })roved 
very successful. The animal should be l)led 
from the neck vein. Give him castor-oil, 
one pint, to be repeated in ten hours if "t 
should not operate. Then nse the following : 
Powdered burnt alum, 4 ounces , chloride 
of lime, 2 ounces ; corn meal, 2 quarts 
Mix, and with this powder swab the mouth 
frequently. 

To Clean a Rusty Plough. — Take a 
quart of water and pour slowly into it half a 
pint of sulphuric acid. The mixture will 
become quite warm from chemical action ; 
and this is the reason why the acid should 
be poured slowly into the water rather than 
the water into the acid, and let it remain on 
the iron till it evaporates. Then wash it 
again. The object is to give the acid time 
to dissolve the rust. Then wash with water 
and yon will see where the worst spots are. 
Apply some more acid, and rnb on those 
spots with a brick. The acid and the scour- 
ing will remove most of the rust. Then 
wash the mouldboard thoroughly with water 
to remove all the acid, and rub it dry. Brush 
it over with petroleum, or other oil, and let 
it Vie till needed for nse. When you go. to 
ploughing, take a bottle of the acid-water 
to the field with you, and apply it every 
bout to any spot of rust that may retuain. 
The acid and the scouring of the earth will 
soon make it perfectly bright and smooth. 
If all iron work be washed over with petro- 
leum as soon as we put our tools, imple- 
ments, and machines aside for the winter, it 
will keep them from rusting. 

Arbor Martis, or Tree of Mars. — Dis- 
solve iron filings in aquafortis moderately 
concentrated, till the acid is saturated ; then 
add to it gradually a solution of fixed alkali, 
commonly called oil of tartar per deliquium. 
A strong efi"ervescence will ensue; and the 
iron, instead of falling to the bottom of the 
vessel, will afterwards rise so as to cover the 
sides, forming a multitude of ramification.s 
heaped one npon the other, which will some- 
times pass over the edge of the vessel, and 
extend themselves on the outside with all 
the appearance of a plant. 

Superior Table Mustard. — Take of best 
flour of mustard, 2 llis ; fresh parsley, h oz. ; 
chervil, | oz.; celery, ^ oz. ; Tarragon, | oz. ; 
garlic, 1 clove; and 12 salt anchovies (all 
well chopped) ; grind well together • add of 
salt 1 oz., and sufficient grape juice or sugar 
to sweeten, with sufficient water to form the 
mass into a thinnish paste by trituration in 
a mortar. "When put into pots, a red-hot 
poker is to be thrust into each, and a little 
vinegar afterwards ponred upon the surface. 



HO^ TO MAKE A CLOCK FOK LESS THAN FIFTY CENTS. 



43 



How to Make a Clock for Less Than 
Fifty Cents. 



r 



-^ 



r 



Fig. 2. 

Yes, boys, a clock — for 
less than tifty cents — not a 
mere make-believe, but a 
cloL-k that will go for Lours, 
and will tell the correct 
time, and even ring an 
alarm to call yoii up iu the 
morning if yoa wish it ; and 
all this you make for your- 
selves at a cost not exceed- 
ing fifty cents. It need not 
cost you so much it you are 
ingenious. It will cost you Fio. 1. 
but little more if you let 
others make the framework for you. 

I made one of these clocks many j^ears ago. 
It went admirably, and it used to hang iu mj' 
bed-room, and would ring me up puuctiiallj'- 
in the morning when I wanted to go bathing 
or fishing, and could not trust to my wake- 
fulness aloud ; besides, it introduced me to 
some novel ideas, and afforded me an oppor- 
tunity of displaying m}' decorative abilities 
on its case. In my grandmother's house 
there was an old hour-glass. They were com- 
mon enough in those days in country places. 

'• Oh !" I hear some boy say, " it's only a 
sand-glass after all!" 

But it is not only a sand-glass — it is a clock 
with hands, face, weights, and all the other 
appendages to a well-regulated clock. It 
looks like a clock ; it keeps time like a clock ; 
it is as useful as a clock; it is about ten times 
as cheap as the cheapest clock ; and therefore 
it is a clock. 

Look at it, and you must say that it is a 
clock, and then I will tell you how to make it. 

Fii-st you get a sheet of stout paste-board, 
such as is used by book-binders, which will 
cost you fro tmen to fifteen cents, according 



as you have quarto or octavo. I prefer the 
thicker, and therefore invest 15 cents in ae 
■ sheet of paste-board, 27 by 22, price 1 5 cents 
to begin with. I then with a penknife cut 
out the front in this shape (tig. 2.) The 
width of the face is 10 iuches, the length 12 
inches, iucludmg the crown ; the shaft is ac- 
cordingly li inches long, and 4 inches broad. 
The remainder of the paste-board i- then 
marked into three divisions of four inches 
M'ide, or as near that as the board will allow. 
It is only important that itshoul 1 be iu three 



Hj 


HI 




; n 


M 1 




• 1 


• 


Hi 


w\ 




Fir,. 



^b-::t 



equal divisions, as in fig. 3. 
Uy means of a straight-edge 
and a knife, tne board is partly 
cut through along the dotted .^i 

hues H H H H, and totally ^^ 

through the short mark at M. Fig. 4. 
The board is then bent along the groove.?, 
and glued with strips of calico to the back of 
the front, so that it forms a hollow tube or 
case som-^ four inches square, and twenty- 
seven inches long, as shown in the section, 
fig. 4. Any tinman will make the tunnel- 
shaped end of the tube, shown at C. It is 
generally cut of tin, like an extinguisher, and 
a small hole left at the point, whilst the up- 
per end is squared so as to fit the tube. 
Mine cost ten cents, and it was soldered tea 
square cap, which fitted the inside of the 
tube. My only other "expense out of 
pocket," as the lawyers say, was the turning 
of the cone at fig. 4. This cost me five cents. 
I had the spindles cut out of the same piece 
of wood. The cone was four inches long, 
and varied from two and a half to one inch 
in diameter ; it was grooved from end to end. 
The front spindle was left one inch long ; the 
hind spindle half an inch. 1 paid throe cents 
or the hook G to hang up my clock, and two 
cents for the sand necessary to fill the tube 
at S. This I washed, sifted, and dried my- 
self, so as to free it from stones and iiregular 



44 



HOW TO MAKE A CLOCK FOR LESS THAN FIFTY CE::T'3. 



impurities. "With these materials, wliich cost 
me 111 a large towu exactly forty-live cents, I 
made my clock. First 1 drew a clock face, 
and paiuted the dial on a sheet of pnper, 
which I pasted on the front. I was \ery care- 
ful to have t'.io axis of the spindle exactly in 
the centre of the face. I cut the hand of my 
clock out of card-board, und I ornauieiited 
th« case with fancy forms, so as to give it an 
oriental look. 1 iiien tilled the Case with dry 
sand, as at S, fig. 4. The weight K, I made 
of a piece of sandstone ; but I have since 
found that a s:n:dl empty stone ink-bot lo 
answers the purpose admirably, and permits 
of easy aujustment. To the neck of the bot- 
tle a piece of coid is tied, by means of a noose, 
BO that it hangs freely and level. I pass the 
end of the cord round the »pindle once or 
twice, through the door left at M, lig. o. and 
I pass the other end through the hole njarked 
N, fig. ;5, so that it hangs down. At this end 
of the cord a bullet or small weight is at- 
tached, as at L, which may be increased, or 
otherwise, so as to assist in regulating the 
clock. Let us now hang the clock up and 
see how it keeps time. The sand rims 
through the aperture at the bottom into a 
vase, basin, oi' jng ; as the sand runs out, the 
weight K, descends, and turns the spindle, 
so that the hand marks the time on the dial. 
The great oVgect now is to regulate the 
clock, and this is easily done by shifting the 
cord on the spindle and by adding a little to 
the weight. If the aperture at thebattom is 
of the right size, the sand will not sink more 
than an inch or an iiu-h and ,a half per hour. 
A gallon of sand contains bnO cubic inches, 
and it will fill the tube bS inches high above 
the cone, so that the clock will go from 10 
to 1 6 hoars without intermission, and when 
once regiilated will keep exact time. 

To wind it tip, the weight K must be ele- 
vated by pulling the end of the cord L, and 
the sand is then poured in at the top. The 
time must be noted before the ch)ck is wound 
up, so it nray be set at the right time again. 
But how abotit the alarum? As sot)n as 
the rate of going is ascertained — for the sand 
runs out regularly while there is an inch lift 
in it, the case should be marked on the side 
where the cord hangs like a graduated scale. 
By this means the weight L may be made to 
release a spring at a given time as it j:)asses 
upwards, and by that means rings a bell, I 
must say that this apparatus seldom repays 
the trouble, and is simply an effort of in- 
genuity when done. On theother hand, the 
clock is a useful article : it affords a lesson on 
the law of forces and in mechanical powers. 
With respect to the ornamentation, I have 
shown at O, fig. 4, a small shelf and bracket. 
This I made out of the spare paste-board, 
and is useful to place a lamp or bougie on. 
or it may hold a small boquet of flowers. If 
a few cents is nooljject. I should recommend 
the whole of the case to be painted with 
Brunswick black, a small bottle of which may 
be obtained at the Paint store, or a black 
varnish may be substituted. When this var- 
nish is dry, the edges may be smoothed with 



sand paper or rounded with a knife. Coiete^ 
figures, liowers, or ornaments may be then 
pasted firmly on in a fantastic manner, and 
the whole varnished with carriage or copal 
varnish. Sheets cf colored figures are now 
gjldat the fancy stationers, I'tady cut out, 
which are admivablj' adapted for the puxi>ose.- 
Though I have showH how an excellent 
sand clock may be uir.de for forty-five cents.. 
1 may in conclusion mention that it is by no 
means indispensable that paste-l)oard should 
be used A piece of tin piping some two 
feet long would be better. The head, face, 
and tube may be made of wood, or the whole 
may be modelled from jjaper pulp. I have 
given the princiiile. and the ingenuity of our 
boys will vary the details losuit their varied 
tastes, appliances, and opportunities. 

To Change Color.o of Liquids in a 
Number of Vases. 



Kange all your vases, which should be 
made of fine glass, with wide mouths, upon a 
table, leaning against a partition, takingcare 
that each of these vases is connected by a se- 
cret tube with another placed at an elevation 
above its level, behind the partition, and in 
an adjacent appurtment. Consequently j'ou 
must have a confeder.ite, who at your signal 
will pour into the hidden vases a liquid to 
flow into the external ones, to produce the 
changes to be desired. 

First. — To chan<_;ft yellow to green. The 
exterior vase should contain lincture of saf- 
fron, and from the inside should flow, at 
yotu' signal, tincture of red roses. 

Second. — Red to blr.e. Outside, tincture 
of red roses ; from inside, spirits of harts- 
horn. 

Third. ^-VAwe to crimson. Outside, tinc- 
ture of violets ; inside, spirit of sulphur. 

Fourth. — Blue into violet. Outside, tinc- 
tdreof violets ; inside, a solution of copper. 
Fifoh. — Brown into j'cllow. Outside, lix- 
ivium ; inside, solution of Hungarian vitriol, 
;S'w7f/i!.— Red to black. Outside, tincture 
of red roses; inside, solution of Hungarian 
vitriol. 

Seventh. — Green into red. Outside, solu- 
tion of copper ; inside, tincture of cyanus. 

EightJt.—'Yo take away and restore the 
color to green. On the outside have a solu- 
tion of copper ; from the inside supply first 
spirits of nitre, and second oil of tarter. 

Ninth. — First red, then black, then red 
again. Outside, tincture of roses; inside, 
1st. solution of vitriol, 2d, oil of tartar. 

Tenth. — A limpid liquid successively 
black, transparent and black again. Outside, 
infusion of gall ; inside, 1st, solution of vit- 
riol, 2d, oil of vitriol, and od, oil of tartar. 



To Balance a Stick in 
Equilibrium. 



Perpetual 



Attach to the end of the stick two knives, 
o serve as counter weights ; then balance it 
at any inclination from your finger, and it 
will not fall off. 



HOW TO MAKE A MICROSCOPE rOB FIVE CENTS 



45 



How to Make a Microscope for 

Five Cents, 

And Wnat to Observe "With It. 

The first thing to do is to procure five cents' 
worth of the little huUow gUss biUl.s, with 
Btems to them, used by aitihciu! djwer mak- 
ers to iininitate ciUTauts aud grapes. You 
may buy them at any artihcial liunsts' mate- 
rial makers. It will be as well for you to take 
a litlle box with you, filled with cotton wool, 
ia order to prevent them being bixjken. fori 
must warn you that they are estremely frag- 
ile article.s aud require the greatest care in 
Landling. 

Having succeeded in getting thera hoTn© 
Kafely, without sittiug on ilieiu or otherwise 
interfering with their spherioai shajie. you 
must examine them oarotidiyiu a gcjod light, 
and pick out the one that is most free from 
scratches, specks, andbubbles, and fill it with 
clean boiled water. This, at first sight, seems 
almost impossible, owing to the slendeniess 
of the stem communicating with the bulb; 
but, by taking advantage of t)ne or two natu- 
ral laws, we mav fill tlie Jittle sphere wi li tie 
greatest ease and certainty. 

We raust first make at'^mporary handle for 
our little globule. Take a piece of smootli 
firewood and cut from it a 3at stick about as 
thick as a lucifer match and three or four 
times as broad. Cut a Klit down the middle 
of the fiat side and insert in it the stem of 
the little globule, which will be lield firmly 
by the natural spring of the wood 

We next mquire a candle or a lamp and a 
cap of perfectly cl«an reaentli/ boiled water. 



fV^.r. 



f^'^' 




XmMmm 

Hold the globule stem upwards about three 
inches above the candle, mitil it is just hot 
enough to be h^ld against the back of the 
iiaud without inconvenience. Without delay 
plunge it stem downwards into the cup of 
water and hold it there for a few seconds. On 
lifting it out you will find that, owing to the 
expanded warm air inside of the globule hav- 
ing shrunk by immersion in the cold water. 
a small quantity of that liquid has entered 
the interior. Eemove tne globule from the 
cleft stick and wipe it perfectly dry. Ee-inscrt 
it in its handle, and hold it once more over 
the candle until the water boils and sends 
forth a tiny jet of steam from the stem. You 
must now plunge it once more into the cold 
water, when, if the water was boiling, yon 
will find that the little apparatus becomes 
completely filled as it cools. If a portion of 



air still remain in the globe repeat the boil- 
ing and plunging into the cold water. It you 
are anything of a glass-blower aud know how 
to use the blow-pipe, ycni may seal the end 
of the stem l)y melting the glass; but if \ou 
are not possessed of these usefid accomplish- 
ments, you must fill up the end with amorsel 
of bees'-wax. so as to till up the little tube iind 
prevent tne water from leaking out. A touch 
of sealing-wax nt the end of the stem will help 
to make all safe and water-tight. It is not 
necessary that the bulb and stem should be 
absolutely full of water; a bubble of air the 
size of a pin's head, but not larger, will uot 
materially interfere with the success of the 
operation. 

It may be, perhaps, as well to mention that 
if you do not live near a Florist material ma- 
ker, you can purchase nraenic tuhesior three or 
four cents a piece at any operative drug store, 
which will answer the purpose quite a.s welL 



y^y 



/^t^'^. 




The next operacion is \m tit a holder to our 
little lens — for such it is now that it is filled 
with water. 

Next get a round, smooth, soft wine-bottla 
cork, and cut oti' from the best end a piece 
the least shade larger than the diameter of 
your little lens. Your knife must be very 
sharp, and your eye very true, to do this 
properly, as there is always great danger of 
cutting the cork crooked. Tne two flat faces 
of the cork shouUi be quite parallel, other- 
wise the image formed by the lens will be 
blurred aud indistinct. The best way of in- 
suring this is to nick or pencil a line round 
the cork, which is equidistant from one of its 
flat surfaces. 

You must next bore a hole through the cen- 
tre of your little cork cylinder, so as totra:is- 
form it into a tube. Here, again, steadiness 
of hand and truth of eye will be required. 
The best way is to commence the hole with a 
red-hot wire, and (hen enlarge it with a pen- 
knife, whose diauieter isaiitllelessthan that 
of the lens. If you have such a thing by you 
as an old mnguum bonum pen. an ordinary 
pen-holder, or even a metal tube somewhat 
smaller than the little globe, you can sharpen 
their edges on a bone, and use tliem as a 
punch. The cork should be placed flat on 
the table, and the punch used exactlv like a 
gimlet, takingcareibat itcuts its way at right 
angles to the surface. 

I have dwelt at some length on the prepa- 
ration of the cork tube, because on its exact- 
itude of form depends the whole worth of the 
microscope. Having made the cork cylinder 



4G 



AND WHAT TO OUSCKVE WITH IT. 



to your liking, enlarge the hole at one end, 
and cut a slu m the flat portion to admit tlie 
stem of the lens; so that the snrfaco of tlie 
glolie iH aliiio.st. but not quite, level with the 
oilier flat siai'ace of the cork, i igs. 1 to 4 
"Will illustrate this better than half a page of 
description. 

Having fitted the lens nicely into the cork, 
it reruaius to blacken the former, ro as to de- 
stroy what opticians call "'false light," which 
would have ttie e.iect of blurring the image. 
Take a cake of ludian ink or lampblack, and 
rub it on a plate, with a few drops of water, 
until you can rub off no more. Add to this 
a drop of thick gum and as much sugar as 
will tit on the top of a pen-knife, to prevent 
the gum from cracking. Mix them all up to- 
gether, and paint t. e lens and its stem all over, 
with the exception of two circles, which must 
be exactly opposite each other. Figs. 5 and 
G represent the front and side view of the lens 
after having been painted. When quite dry, 
insert the lens in its place, as shown In Fig. 
4, and fix it in its position by a slight touch . 
of gum here and there. A neat slip of cork 
should also be gammed into the slit formed 
for the insertion of the stem. 





By the way, if yon have no Indian ink, or 
lamp black, you may manufacture some xe- 
temporaneously by smoking a plate over a 
caudle or lamp, and mixing the black np with 
gum and sugar as before. A gas flame gives 
the finest deposit. 

We must now fit the lens-holder with dia- 
phragms, baik and front. 

Cut from a thin visiting card two circles the 
exact size of the ends o. the lens-holder, and 
cut out from their centres neat holes about 
the size of a small pea ; paint them black, 
and gum them securely on each end of the 
lens-holder. If yon know a friendly saddler 
or shoemaker, you had better ask him to 
pnnch out these holes for you, as it is some- 
what difficult <o cut out so small a hole with 
exactitnde. The card diaphragms should al- 
mo.st, but not quite, touch the surface of the 
lens. If yon have worked the flat surfaces 
and the central hole truly, you will find that 
the holes in the diaphragms are exactly op- 
posite to each other. 

If YOU happen to have access to a lathe, you 
pn save an immense deal of trouble by turn- 
ing the lens-holder out of wood. 

Having finished the lens-holder and fixed 
the lens and diaphragms in their places, we 
must next form a little paper tube to slide on 
the lens holder and hold the slip of glass upon 
which the object is placed for observation. 
Take the niece of cork remaining after cut- 
ting off the lens-holder, and form upon it a 



little paper tube, about the eighth of an inch 
shorter than the lens-holder, by gumming 
round it a long slip of jjaper, until you have 
seven oy eight turns. Of course the first 
round is not to be gummed, otherwise it 
Mould stick to the cork. You must take care 
to wrajj the paper round pretty tightly, other- 
wise the gum Mill not stick When quite dry, 
remove it from the cork, which may be cut 
out, if necessary, being of no further use. If 
the rube is too small to fit the lens-holder 
somewhat tightly, i)ut a pencil through it, 
and roll it on a flat surface until it is suffi- 
ciently expanded. If, on the contrary, it fits 
too loosely, you must gum a slip of paper 
round the lens holder. 

Having made it fit to your satisfaction, 
trim the edges carefully, if necessary, so that 
they are quite squaie and neat. 

Before proceeding any farther, it will be 
necessary lor you to determine the thickness 
of the glass-slides you intend using 

Go to a glazier and ask him to pick out for 
you the thinnest pieces of glass he has in his 
waste. From these get him to cut jou a 
number of lengths exactly a quarter of an 
inch in width. When you get these home, 
you can easily break them up yourself into 
pieces an inch and a half long, by simply 
scratching them at opi^osiie edges with an old 
file, or even a sharp flmt, and snapping them 
quickly across. Afcww 11 possil)ly not break 
evenly ; but you are sure to succeed, if you 
only make j-our notches deep enough. 

Take the little paste-board tube, and at 
about the eighth of an inch from one end cut 
two slits exactly opposite to each other, slight- 
ly more than a quarter of an inch in length, 
and in breadth equal to the thickness of two 
of the slips ot glass. The intention of the 
object-holder is to slide the object backwards 
and forwards before the lens, so as to be able 
to adjust the focus. It may helji you a great 
deal if you know that the focus of a globe 
filled with water, is as nearly as possil le half 
its diameter. Thus, if the globe is halt an 
inch in diameter, disf-nct vision will be ob- 
tained M'hen the object is held at about a quar- 
ter of an inch from the furface of the lens. 
Fig. 7 represents the object holder fixed in 
is positirn. 

You have now a little microscope which 
ma:nifies objects 25 or JjO diameters; that is 
to say, it causes them to appear 25 or 30 times 
their natural length and breadth. It will not, 
of course, show you objects such asyou would 
be able to see with an instrument costing ten 
or fifteen dollars; but it will enable you to 
observe a vast number of inter sting and in- 
structive ficts that cannot fail to please you 
and reward you for the labor and pains you 
have bestowed on 3'our little apparatus. 

The preparation of the objects is a compar- 
atively simple matter; the principal difficulty 
beinfr to know what to look at. Let us take 
for example the dust from a moth's wing. 

Having assured yourself that the insect is 
dead— for unnecessary crueltv to any of God's 
creatur s is unmanly and oowardly-lblow off 
any dust that may have fallen en" the wings, 



new TO J'AZT. A jiicr.occorE for fite cents' 



47 



and gently touch one of them with a clean, 
dry finger. Transfer the dust adhering to it 
to the middle of one of your gLiss slides, and 
cover it inimed ately with another. Holding 
the two slij^s of glass firml 3' together between 
your finger and thumb, cover the edges all 
round with sealing-wax. When the wax is 
cold, it may be smoothed down neatly with a 
hot knife ; any that has run over on the sur- 
face of the .'■lide bei:ig cleaned off with a 
sharp pen-knife, when it is quite cold. 

fij.7. 




Befor? sealing up the blides you should plac® 
between them a Lttle square or round label 
cut out of thin paper, with a number inscribed 
upon it corresponding to another attached to 
a descriptive list kept in a book. Except you 
can write very neat.y, j-ou will hardly be able 
to attach a description to your slides; the 
labels being too small for anything but a num- 
ber. Place the slide in the ob ect-holder, so 
that the object is exactly opposite the hole in 
the diaphragm, and hold the whole apparatus 
up to the light. Gently slide the object-holder 
backwards and forwards until distinct vision 
is obtained. You will find the object a most 
interesting one. A mass of broad, flat scales 
will meet your eye, possibly notched at the 
top, or strongly ribbed, oval like abattledoor, 
or square with the corners rounded off, but 
always with a strong, stumpy quill at one end 
which fits into a corresponding hole in the 
substance of the wing, just as a feather fits 
into a bole in the bird's skin, or your own 
he id. A well-lighted white cloud is the best 
illumination for the microscope ; but of course 
that cannot alwaysbe obtained at a moment's 
notice. The sky, a lamp, or even a c ndle 
can be all used for the purpose. Whatever 
the illuminating medium is, the microscope, 
as a rule should b-3 so held as to face the mid- 
dle of the source of light. When using a 
candle or lamp, the observer should sit a ynrd 
or two off. A few experiments, however, will 
soon practically tciich the young observer 
lessons that it would take pages to write. 

It is hardly necessary to say that the micro- 
scope, when not iu use, should be kept in a 
box or dr iwer that is dust tight If the sur- 
faces of the lens become soiled or dusty, they 
should be cleaned with a camels h;iir jipiu il. 
The whole apparatus will look nmch ne)!e% 
if the cork cvlinder, as well as the object- 
holder, be painted black. 

The objects to be I'oked at are really so 
num' r >us th; t T can only Rive yo 1 the barest 
description of a few of them, leaving you 
yourselves to find out those indicated by the | 



scanty list with which I am going to furnish 
you. 

Taking the mineral kingdom first you will 
find that sal-anmjoniac, blue-stone, nitre, and 
several salts, form very pretty objects, when 
crystalizcd on a slide. A weak solution of 
the salt should be made — say a piece the size 
of a pea to three or four teaspoonfnls of water. 
The slide having been warmed, a drop of the 
solution is placed on it, and the whole is put 
away in a warm corner until crystalization 
has taken jDlace. You then examine the slide 
in tho microscope to see if the experiment has 
succeeded; ifitUas, you cover it immedia'e- 
ly with another slide, taking great care not 
to crush the crystals. 

The animal kingdom affords an almost in- 
exhaustible supply of objects. 

The hair of the head and beard, hair from 
caterpillars, bees, crabs, and spiders, are all 
beautiful objects. If you examine sou)e very 
coarse wool, you will find its surface covered 
with slight projections, while that of human 
hair is comparativelj' smooth. 

The scales of fish — especially those of the 
eel, and perch — are very interesting object-!, 
being corrugated in beautiful natters s. 'J'he 
wings of tiies, bees, wasps, Ac, will form a 
study in themselves. If you have mnde your 
microscope carefully, you will be able to see 
that theiv transparent portion is covered with 
minute hairs. Notice, also, that the arrange- 
ment of the ribs is differe t in ever' species. 
The vegetable kingdem is also unfailing in 
its supply of objects Thin slices of rush, 
cork, Wiiod of various kinds, cut both with 
the grain and against it. will tench j'on much 
respecting the structin-e of plants. Cooked 
rhubarb, or tea-leaves, well pulled to pieces 
with a couple of needles, will show you — 
sometimes after a long search — those very 
curious spiral vessels that exist in different 
parts of plants. 

In conclusion let me remind yon that there 
are four cardinal virtues which every micro- 
scopist must possess. They are %>atienc€, 
neatn(ss,cleanUne^s, and iiiteiligence. 



Japanese Paper Matches. 

When lighted, burn with a small, scarcely 
luminous flame, a red-hot ball of glowing 
saline matter accunmlating as the combus- 
tion proceeds. When about one-half of the 
matcla has been consumed the glowing heat 
begins to send forth a succession of splendid 
sparks. The phenomenon gradually assumes 
the character of a brilliant scintillation, very 
similar to that observed on burning a stt el 
s]iring in oxygen, otdy mufh more delicate, 
the individual sparks branching out in beau- 
tiful dendritic ramifications. A mixture of 
carbon, 1 (powdered wood charcoal) ; stil- 
phur, 1 5 ; and nitre, 84, produce the phe- 
nomenon. English tissue paper may be 
used for the wrapper. 



48 



MONOCnEOSIAXIC OK CKATON PAINTING, 



Moaocliromatic or Crayon Painting. 

The male rials for cruyou paiutiug are, 
first, tlie uiouocbromatic board. Prociuo 
the best quality, as a good picture cau uot 
be prodaceil with inferior board. Tints of 
variou.s kinds for giving expression to tbo 
bceue, such as red for a sunrise, or sua.^et, 
and brown or purple for moonlight scenes, 
Ciiu be procured ; but white is the best for 
all beginners. 

Fort Crayon. — Two of these are required ; 
they are used to hold crayon in one end aud 
cork in the other. One must be kept wiili 
a fine point for drawing and fixing the finer 
parts ; the other is used to place color on 
the pallet, and. for the coarser parts. The 
crayon and cork are pointed by whittling 
from the point backwards. 

Crayon. — The round varnished Frencli 
crayons are the bast. No. 1 is hard, iuid 
only used for drawing fine lines. No. 2 is 
commonly used, and is all that is actually 
necessary for beginners. No. 3 crayons are 
soft, anti are only used where an intense 
black is wanted. Black crayons are all that 
are wanted ; nev^r use colors. 

Cork should Wo fine and close-grained — 
that which cuts like a piece of rubber is the 
best; cut it into slips and place a piece in 
one end of each of the port crayons, one to 
be sharpened with as fine a point as can ba 
produced, the other with a coarse point; it 
is used to rub over and fix the color of all 
parts drawn with the crayon. 

Sponge must be thoroughly washed tofreo 
it from sand ; the fiue-gi-aiued is the best. 
Cut into pieces one and a half or two inches 
squai'e. 

Biccksskin should be well dressed, soft, 
smooth, and of good thickness. The backs 
of old mittens and gloves can be used by 
washing in soapsuds, dry slowly, and rub in 
the hands occasionally to make soft. Cut 
into pieces about an inch square. When 
ready to use, double over one corner to the 
centre, bring over the next one on the same 
side to meet it, forming a point — use the 
right side. 

Knife. — A large-sized, spear-pointed, sin- 
gla-bladed penknife is best. The blade 
sliould be firm in the handle, and middling 
sharp; it is used for engraving. Keep a 
whetstone and sharpen occasionally, to keep 
the edge smooth and true. 

DisickrH. — Sel ct a pair of small brass di- 
viders ; those which fasten with a screw are 
batter than those which f isten with a rivet, 
as they can be tightened or loosened at plea- 
sire. Tiiey are used for measuring and 
testin,!* distances. 

Pallet.' An inferior piece of the board is 
selected for this. It should be two or three 
JTiches wide, and of any convenient length. 
A couple of lead weights are useful to stand 
upon this and keep it in place. It is used 
to place the color upon by simply rubbing 
the crayon in a circular manner on it; the 
color is t;dcen off with the sponge and buck- 
skin. This completes the list of materials ; 
they should all bo of th© best quality, as a 



good artist can not produce a ber.ntiful pic- 
t ire without a good article to work with, nor 
can a beginner. 

Where U) Commence Painting a Land- 
.scape. — In the fir.st place we will have au 
old flewspajjer to place upon the table, and 
a small piece for a thumb-paper to keep all 
things neat and clean. In Llotiochromatic 
paint;iug, always, as a rule, commence with 
the most remote objects and finish with 
those nearest to the observer. 

Sky — .\s this is considered the most re- 
mote of all objects in picture representation, 
it is the first to be painted. Place some 
color on the pallet liy rubbing the crayon 
lightly upon it, take some of this color on a 
piece of sponge and commence at the top 
left-hand corner, brushing in a horizontr.l 
manner, very lis^htly, working down with 
each stroke ; take more color and continue 
until it is d;;rk enough. Ce careful and not 
get it streaked. 

Water. — Take a piece of buckskin, flat 
between the thunib and fiuger; get some 
color on it by rubbing on the pallet, and 
commence at the lower lefi-hand corner ; 
work in a horizontal matiner across the 
board, working upwards with each stroke 
until the natural horizon is reached. lu 
waterfalls work in an oblique or curved nman- 
ner to correspond with the direction of the 
f lling water. Soften it by working the 
sponge in the same manner, to render the 
more t.ranspareiit ; engrave some light places 
in it with the knife — horizontally if level, or 
curved if in falling water. 

C'ouds come next. Paint with the buckskin 
folded to a point, moving the hand in a cir- 
cular manner; soften with the sponge, and 
engrave the light edges with a knife. Re- 
member that clouds are vapor, with light 
shining upon them. 

Eemote Dltitance in the scene is the next 
in order, as mountains, hills, or heavy 
masses of timber which are s;ifl&ciently near 
to exhibit any marks of light and shade, 
should be painted with the buckskin in a 
parallel manner, corresponding with the 
angle and shape of the object represented. 
Keep the edges of distant mountains soft 
and not too distinct, according to their dis- 
tance. Remember that lights and shades 
are always opposite to each other. Tone 
down by rubbing lightly with the sponge, 
and engrave out the light parts with the 
knife very softly. Observe the time of day, 
distance, state of the atmosphere, and di- 
rection in which the light shines. In the 
central parts the lights and shades are 
clearer and more distinctly- defined. 

Diiant Foliage is painted with the pointed 
buckskin in a circular manner to produce 
clumns, masses, &C. If the tree-stems are 
visible, draw (he pointed crayon and fasten 
with the pointed cork; engrave the foliage 
lightly. 

Distant Buildings and Vessels^ -where 
there is suflB.cient shade, may be engraved 
out with the knife, touching windows and 
doors with the pointed crayon and cork; 



MO-NOCHBOaiATIO OB CEATON PAINTINCJ. 



49 



the Lulls of vessels may need a touch of the 
crayon. 

Jioc/iS. — Rocks should bo worked with the 
'oiickiskiu lu the diiectiou of their strata; if 
tbey have any fissures or other characleris- 
lic purts, the shaded or d;ulc ^lar'ts iiiiiy be 
<l()iie with the (.-rayoa uud fastened with the 
co:k; eugi-ave the light parts with the knife. 

Land is painted in the same manner as 
rocks, keeping theelevatious aiid depressions 
iu their relatis-e position. 

Trecn. — Paint the foliage first, using the 
pointed buckskin iu a circular maimer, and 
engrave out the light parts with tlie knife; 
next come the tree-stems. These are drawn 
with th« erayoTi and fixed wi'.h iho cork; 
phice them in the open spaces in the foliage 
and in projier position to bahiuce their foli- 
jige gracefidly ; the branches are seen only 
in the dark or shaded .spaces; the gradual 
tapering of tree-stems upward from_ the 
ground must beol)served; also the direction 
of the branches must be attended to. There 
as always a light side to trese-stems, which 
may be engraved lightly with the knife. As 
the different species of trees are of^en dis- 
cernible at a distance, as the form of a fir or 
Xiomhardy poplar is qnite distinct from an 
oak or oii aj^ple tree, their proportions must 
be observpii in painting them. Yon have 
nature before you ; keep your eyes open. 

Fcncen^ if dark, are painted with the 
crnyon and <cork white, as picket or board 
fence, can be done by paintiiig a smooth 
j'jround aiid engraving cut w'lih. the knife; 
sloue fence the same as picket, aiid point 
out the stones with the crayon and knife. 

Building!'-^ JRn/'n.^ dr. — First drnw their 
outline and then fill with the buckskin if not 
very dark; if an iatense black jsivant-ed, use 
the crayon and cork ; engrave out the doovs 
*»nd windows. If the buildings are suffi- 
ciently Dear to discern their particular era- 
bellishmont, markings, and material. charac- 
ter may be given to them by pointing out 
with the knife or cr;iyoi\ the brick, .stone, or 
clapboards, lluined i)uiMingK, old ■castles, 
&a., look much prettier than perfect speci- 
mens of architecture. 

07'a.'t% Fl(i!i,t.% Flower.% dc. — Tf o\'er a 
dark ground, are engraved out with the point 
of the knife; upon a light ground use the 
pointedcrayonand fix with a pressure of the 
finger; be careful and not nuike grass too 
distinct. 

Anirr.ali. — ^Thefiguresofanimals, persons, 
&c., may be drawn with (he pointed crayon 
anil finished with the cork, lie careful io 
2>res-n"ve the relative proportion of all figures 
and ol'jecis; for instance. do not delineate a 
horse before a barn any larger than <he 
barn ; as in that case your horee would have 
to stay out in the cold. 

Smoke is painted with the pointed buck- 
skin, giving it a circular motion; it shouid 
not be quite as dense as clouds. 

Ii:'Jlection.i, when well managed, coutrib- 
nte very much to the beauty and apparent 
reality of the landscape. Plnce in an oppo- 
site direction from which the light enters the 



scene. Reflections if level are painted wilh 
the buckskin ; their edges must be kept soft 
and fading, not making too sharp outlines ; 
reflections of grass, bushes, stumps, and tree 
stems, if small, may be made wilh the pointed 
crayon and cork or a pressure of the finger 
will fasten them. 

Moonliflht Sceneii. — Monochromatic paint- 
ing is well adapted to landscapes by moon- 
light; the lights are soft and fading; the 
shades are dark and gloomy ; the objects are 
less distinct, and the moon shining through 
the clouds gilding with its silver rays a part 
of the objects, it is a study well worthy the 
attention of all observers of nature. Moon- 
light scenes are executed the same as those 
by daylight, keeping the shades darker, more 
iudistiucr, and fading into the lighter parts. 
Engrave out the moon with the knife ; don't 
make the edges too sharp and distinct. In 
shining across water, engrave the reflection 
lightly. Study nature in all things, and try 
to produce a natural lifelike appearance of 
all olijocts whiih you attempt. 

Copjinrj, Enlarrjinrj. ahd Dhninisldng. — 
The beginner will find many pictures that 
he would like to copjy, and it is a very good 
exercise for a person who has taken up 
monochromatic painting as a study, to copy 
some of the pretty scenes to be found in the 
papers aiul magazines of the present day. 
Make two frames of lath or pasteboard, one 
the size of the picture to be copied, the other 
the size of the botird on which you wish to 
transfer the engraving; make three holes at 
equal distances from each other in each of 
tlie two shortest sides. and four in each of ll'.o 
longest sides; streuh fine (lireads throurjh 
them, dividing 1he frames into squares; 
now number the squares on one of the lorg 
and one of the short sides; place one frame 
over the engraving, the other over the board 
on which you wish to transfer the .sketch. 
Commence with square No. 1; sketch tha 
outlines of all ol jects confa'ncd in it on the 
board in square No. 1 ; proceed to No. 2, and 
continre until r.U oljecta are sketched on 
the board; then fill up according to previora 
directions. The sky must be painted on 1 '-e 
board before the sketch is commenced. To 
diminish a picture reverse the frames. 

Removing Color. — If through any mistako 
color is placed on the board vhere it is not 
wanted, it can be removed with a ]Uece of 
clean buckskin, or it may be blended in with 
a piece of clean sponge; if on the skv-, it 
may be formed into a cloud. 

There may be objects found in landscrpes 
not named in \ he foregoing directions ; if so, 
select an inferior piece of board and practice 
it separntely and the judgment of the learner 
will soon find the richt way of executing it. 

To Make a Liquid Bcil Without Fire. 
IL-iving placed in a bottle a small quantity 
of aquafortis, throw into it a small quantity 
of brass filings; then you will perceive a 
strong boiling, so that the bottle will appear 
full, and the vial will become so warm that 
you can not touch it without being burned. , 



50 



THE AKT OF ELECTEOTXPING. 



The Art of Electrotyping. 



THE THEOIIX OF THE ELECTEOTYPE rEOCESS, 



The electrotype process may be defined 
generally as the art of depositing metals 
upon suitable surfaces by means of a current 
of voltaic electricity. What voltaic electri- 
city is, and how it acts in producing metallic 
deposits, may be easily shown by a few 
simple experiments. 

Place a clean slip of zinc — say a couple of 
inches long and an inch wide — upon your 
tongue, and a silver coin — a dime, for in- 
stance — under it, taking care not to let the 
metals touch each other. As long as the 
coin and the zinc are separated, no percep- 
tible effect is i^rodnced ; but allow -them to 
touch each other, as shown in Fig. 1, iiud 
you will experience a peculiar tingling sen- 
sation in the tongue, accompanied by a me- 
tallic or saline taste. The-^e sensations are 
repeated as often as the two metals are joined 
or separated. 




In this simple experiment lies the whole 
principle of the production of voltaic elec- 
tricity, and the eti'ects experienced depend 
on the following laws: — • 

I. Whenever two different metals are placed 
in a liquid and joined. electricity is generated 
on the surface of that met.d which is most 
easily acted upon by the liqiiid, and flows 
toward the other. For example, in the pre- 
sent case the zinc is more easily acted tipon 
by the saliva than the silvei', the consequence 
being that a current of electricity starts from 
the surface of the zinc, travels through the 
saliva and the tongue to the silver, and so 
round to the zinc again, in the direction of 
the arrows in Fig. 1. In passing through 
the tongue, the current stimulates the nerves 
of that organ, and slightly decomposes the 
saliva, giving rise to the sensations already 
described. 

It will be as well to impress firmly on your 
mind the course taken by the current, as 
you will find this knowledge exceedingly 
useful in future experiments. The positions 
of the metals may of course be reversed 
■without in any way altering the effects of 
the experiment. 

By varying this simple experiment in one 
or two ways, we may gain a little more in- 
formation on the subject. 

Wash the mouth out with salt and water, 
and repeat the experiment. You will now 
find that the sensations you formerly felt are 
increased, owing to the fact that the salt and 
writer acting more energetically on the zinc 
than plain saliva, and consequently produc- 



ing a stronger current of electricity. This 
experiment enables us to lay down anolher 
law: — 

II. The stronger the chemical action on 
the zinc, the greater is the amount of elec- 
tricity produced. Secondly, we may substi- 
tute a piece of gold or lead fur the silver 
coin, in the case of the gold, we shall find 
an iiicrease of electrical power, while with 
the lead we shall find, on the contrary, a 
decrease. The reason of these changes wiil 
require a little, explanation. 

I have before said, and we have found it 
to be true by the first experiment, that when 
zinc is acted upon by a liquid it throws off a 
current of electricity. Now, this is not only 
true of zinc, but also of iron, lead, silver, 
gold, and all other metals, out to a much 
less extent. When, therefore, a plate of lead 
is used with the zinc, the saliva acts on both, 
a strong current of electricity being set up 
by the zinc, and an opposition tcca/c one by 
the lead ; the real value of the zinc current 
is consequently reduced by that flowing from 
the lead. With silver, the opposition current 
is still less, silver being only very slightly 
influenced by the saliva ; while with gold, 
which is practically unaffected, we obtain 
the zinc current in its fullest intensity, with 
scarcely any diminution or drawback. 

We can now lay down a third law : — 

III. — That tiie most energetic effect is 
produced when the two metals used differ 
as widely as possible in their capacity for 
being acted uijou by the liquid in which 
they are immersed. 

The following list of common metals, ar- 
ranged in the order in which they are acted 
upon by dihite sulphuric acid, will enable us 
to see this a little more clearly : — • 

Gold Imperceptibly. 

Platinum Hardly at all. 

SiLVEE Very slightly indeed. 

CopPEB Very slightly. 

Tin Slightly. 

Lead Somewhat strongly. 

Ieon Strongly. 

Zinc Very strongly. 

Potassium Very strongly indeed. 

If, therefore, we wish to make the strong- 
est possible voltaic pair that the above metals 
will afford, we should use gold and potas- 
sium ; but as these metals are exceedingly 
dear, we use zinc in combination with plati- 
num, silver, or copper, according to circum- 
stances. 

There is one substance, however, which 
beats even gold when used with zinc, and 
that is carbon or charcoal, which, although 
not a metal, acts as one in a voltaic combi- 
nation. This may be tried by using a piece 
of well-burned charcoal instead of a silver 
coin in our first experiment. 

Here, then, we have all the conditions 
laid down for forming a voltaic pair : — 

First, a plate of metal, such as zinc, which 
is easily acted on chemically ; secondly, an- 
other plate of metal, such as platinum, silver, 
or copper, •which is attacked ■with great diffi- 



THE Ar.T OF ELECTHOTTPING. 



51 



CTilty ; thirdly, a liquid such as saliva, water, 
solution of salt, or of souie acid, to act upon 
the zinc ; and lastly, a vessel of some kind — 
preferably, not the mouth — to contain the 
whole. 

These conditions are admirably fulfilled in 
the zinc and platinized silver battery which 
is known by the name of its inventor, Mr. 
Alfred Smee, of which the following is a de- 
scription : — 

.FlC.i. FIC.3. 



fr- 



El 



^ 



Fig. 2 is a frame, F F' F" F'", containing 
a sheet of platinized silver. P, to which is 
attached a bindiug screw, S (not shown in 
Fig. 3), into which may be fastened a wire. 
Fig. 3 shows the frame in section, with the 
zinc plates attached. Z Z are the zinc plates 
''not shown in Fig. 2), which are kejDt in 
their places by the clamp, C (not shown in 
Fig. 2). On the top of the clamp is another 
binding screw, S', which serves to hold an- 
other wn-e. The whole is immersed in the 
jar, J ('not shown in Fig. 2.), which contains 
sulphuric acid and water. 

Here we have the perfect representation 
of the voltaic pair we formed in the first ex- 
periment, only we have a convenient vessel 
instead of our mouth, and solution of sul- 
Ijhuric acid instead saliva. We also have 
the power of prolonging our plates by means 
of binding screws and wires, so that we may 
lead the force generated by the zinc in any 
direction we please. For instance, if yon 
place the two wires in your mouth, yon will 
notice the same sensations as in our first ex- 
periment, but in an increased degree. 

It may possibly puzzle yon to understand 
why two plates of zinc are used instead of 
only one, and also how ifc is that the current 
only passes when the zinc and silver plates 
are connected. The following explanation 
will make this clear to yon. 

"When a plate of zinc is immersed — say, in 
dilute acid, electricity is immediately gene- 
rated on both of its surfaces ; but if there be 
nothing to collect and convey this electricity 
away, it remains where it is. If, however, 
a plate of some other metal is placed in the 
liquid, it collects the electricity generated 
by the zinc ; but even now the current will 
rot flow except communication through a 
conductor be made between the plate and 
the zinc. 

Going back to our first experiment, let tis 
see what happened. Yoit first laid the zinc 
on your tongue ; but although chemical ac- 
tion took place, you felt no electrical current, 



neither did you when the dime was placed 
under it; and it was not unul the dinio laid 
the zinc touched that you experienced i.ny 
manifestation of electricity. 

As it is the surfaces of the plates that are 
concerned in generating or collecting the 
current produced, we prt'ftr in tlje baueiy I 
am describing to make the jilatinizeil sil\>r 
— which is very much dearer than the zinc — 
do double work, and collect electricity on 
lioth its surfaces. ^. e C(;nsequent]y tiso two 
plates of zinc, so lh:it there ]i:ay be electri- 
city generated on both sides of the platinum 
plate. 

Here, then, are two more important facts 
for you to recollect : tir.st, that no electricity 
l)asses until the two ]>lates are connected, 
either by vheir free ends, as in our first ex- 
I)erimeut, or by wires, as in all ordinary 
batteries, when it instantly begins circling 
round and round until all the zinc is dis- 
solved, or the acid becomes so weak as to act 
on it no longer; secondly, that it is on the 
surface of the zinc next the inactive collect- 
ing plate that the current of electricity is 
produced. In tlie i')resent instance ve 
might make one zinc plate give out electri- 
city from both of its surfaces by usiiig two 
plates of platinized silver; but as that ma- 
terial is worth some hundred times as mm h 
as the zinc, it is better, as I have before sa"d, 
to make the dear material do the double 
work. 

It is hardly necessary for me to say tl : t 
the amount of electrical effect that njay 1 e 
produced by a zinc plate is entirely in pro- 
portion to its surface, and has nothing to 
do with its thickness. Thus the thin plati- 
nized silver plate is just as elective as if it 
were half an inch thick. In tbe case of the 
zinc, we use pretty thiidc ] l.'tes. simply b< - 
cause they take longer to d.s.solve away than 
thin ones. 

The ordinary commercial zinc used for 
batteries is very impure. It contains nume- 
rous particles of lead, iron, and carbon, which 
set up little opposition voltaic currents ou 
their own account as soon as the plate is 
immersed in the acid. To obviate this, the 
zinc has to undergo the process of amalga- 
mation by being rubbed over with mercury 
before it is fit for use. The mercury foims 
with the zinc a semi-fluid compound, which 
spreads over the surface, and covers up the 
little particles of other metals, and prevents 
tliem from being acted on by tlie acid. 
The process of amalgamatiug the zinc is 
very simple, and will be described further 
on. 

Having now made ourselves pretty well 
acquainted with the construction and action 
of the voltaic battery, we will make a few 
experiments on its effects. In our first ex- 
periment we found that the saliva on our 
tongue was slightly decomposed. The de- 
composition of substances through which 
the current passes is one <if the most charac- 
teristic effects of the voltaic battery. The 
Smee's pair, already described, has hardly 
power enough to eiffect the decomposition 



52 



THE AET 07 rLECTKOTTPINO. 



of water. — that is to say, to separate it into 
its compoueut g-.i.ses, oxygeu aud hydrogen ; 
but there are other substances so e:isy of de- 
compositiuu that we may decouipose them 
with our slip of zinc and dime. 

Dissolve a few crystals of s;ilphnte c-f cop- 
par, which is composed of copper, oxygen, 
and siilphiuio acid, in a cup of water ; throw 
into it a silver coin, and leave it there for a 
fdw moments. Ou lifting it ont, the coin is 
as bright as it was befoi'e. But create an 
electrio current through the sulphate of cop- 
per solution by touching the coin with a slip 
of zinc as it lies at the bottom cf the cup, 
and you will sliortly find a deposit ot met- 
allic cojjper covering the silver. By im- 
mersing the zine in the sulphate of copjier 
solution we have created a current of electri- 
city, which passes through the liquid, de- 
composing it, tiie copper going to the silver, 
and the otlier components of the sulphate of 
copper — sulphuric acid and oxygen — going 
to the zinc, which is gradually dissolved. 

Now V, e may do precisely the same thing 
with our Smee's pair. We may conduct the 
electricity generated by means of wir«;s into 
a solution of sulphate of copper, and decom- 
pose it, one wire becoming coated with cop- 
per like the dime, and the other becoming 
oxidized, and dissolving iu the liberated sul- 
phuric acid. 

Next we may attach to one wire a coin, to 
the other a piece of copper, to supply the 
place of that deposited on the coin, and we 
may allow the current to pass until the de- 
posit on the coin is thick enougli to remove; 
or, lastly, we may substitute for the coin a 
wax mould, made conductible by black lead, 
and so obtain an electrotype copy of it in 
copi)er. 

Here, then, we have the whole theory of 
electrotyping. and we have arrived at it in a 
truly philosophical manner, beginning with 
one simple experiment with the zinc and 
dime, and working gradually onwards step 
by step. 

I will now describe to yoti what is known 
as the single-cell Daniell's battery — a form 
of voltaic combination much used by begin- 
ners. 

It may have occurred to yon while endea- 
voring to coat your dime with copper that a 
piece of zinc, with a wire attached to it 
carrying a black-leaded mould, might be 
immersed in a jur of sulphate of copper so- 
lution, and constitute a rude electrotype 
apparatus. Such an idea would be perfectly 
correct in theory, V)ut in practice you would 
find that the zinc itself would in turn become 
coated wilh copper, ami that very soon all 
action would cease. Provide some means, 
however, by which the zinc would be pro- 
tected from the action of the sulphate of 
copper, and M'e get a very efficient appara- 
tus for ordinary purposes. The following is 
a desi^ription of the ordinary single-cell 
r>aniell, which is so much used for electro- 
typing sniall objects. But I should advise 
yon most strnnglv to put your trust entirely 
in Smee. The DanieU is certainly cheaper 




at first, but continual breakage of porous pots, 
and the uncertainty with which it works, 
render it dearer iu the end. 

It consists (Fig. 4) cf a jar, J, containing 
a porous pot, P, within which is placed a 
cylinder of zinc, Z. To this 
i:i attached by means of a 
bimhng screw, B, a wire, W, 
carrying the black-leaded 
mould. III. The outer jar is 
filled with a solution of sul- 
phate of copper, the porous 
pot with dilute sulphuric 
acid. Yon will, no doubt, at 
once think that this cannot 
be a voltaic pair generating 
a current of fcleetricity, there 
being no inactive plate to 
collect the electricity devel- 
oped by the zinc; but a little 
reflection will show you that the black-leaded 
mould is the collecting plate in this instance, 
becoming covered with cop] .er as long as the 
current flows. A little moie reflection is 
liable to raise a new diinculiy as to the pos- 
sibility of the electricity generated by the 
zinc passing through the porous pot, which 
is a non-conducting material ; but if we only 
consider that the two liquids pass through 
the pores of the clay, and mix together very 
slowly, the difficulty vanishes. 

One more explanation. and I am done with 
theory. In using the Smee with a separate 
cell, it often puzzles one to know upon which 
wire to hang tlie mould ; but if we only take 
the trouble to trace the course of the oirrent, 
and to recollect that it is at that particular 
spot where the current leavrs the liquid that 
the metal is deposited, you will have do diffi- 
culty iu remembering to which wire to attach 
your mould. 

The following d agrams show (he course 
taken by the current in the three electro- 
typing arrangements that we have been 
considering, beginning with the zinc and 
dime. 

In Fig. 5 it begins at the 
zinc, passes through the 
sulphate of copper solution 
into the coin, leaving a de-T 
posit of copper behind it, - 
and so upwards into the 
zinc again. 

In Fig. it begins with 
thezinc,and travels through 
FIQ.6 



FIG. 3 





z 


i 




A 


i 
^ 


— *■ 


\ s 



the sulphuric acid solution, sulphate of cop- 
per, black-leaded mould, copper wire, and 
binding screw, to the zinc once more. 



THE AET OF ELECTEOTTPING. 



53 




In Fig. 7 the conrse is fig. 7. 

throngh the zinc, sulphuric 
acid, pliitmized silver, bind- 
ing screw, wire, copper^ 
pl.ite, sulphate of copper 
solution, and zinc. In this 
last iu-r:iiigement I have 
only shown one zinc plate, 
in order to avoid confusion. 

Let us now sum up the theory of the elec- 
trotype process. 

I.' — When a plate, of zinc is immersed in 
n liquid which acts uptm it chemically, elec- 
tricity is developed on the surface of the 
metal. 

II. — If we place opposite to the zinc an- 
other metal only slightly acted on by the 
liquid, and connect it with the zinc by means 
of a wire, the electricity developed by the 
■ zinc is set in motion, and a current is gen- 
erated -which lasts until chemical acti(|u 
ceases. 

III. — "When a current of electricity is 
passed tlirough a liquid, the liquid is decom- 
l)osed, j)rovided the current is sufficiently 
strong. 

IV. — If the solution through which the 
current passes contains a metal, it will bo 
deposited at the point where the current 
passes oit of the solution. 

V. — Tlio electric current will pass with 
more or less facility through all the metals, 
charcoal, black lead, and most liquids, but 
nearly iiU other substances interruiit its pass- 
age. Bodies of the first kind are called con- 
ductors, the rest non-conductors. 

So fir the theory of the electrotype pro- 
cess, without some knowledge of which no 
one can hope to succeed in obtaining good 
results. 

THE PRACTICE. 

One of the first things the electrotyper 
will have to practise is the art of making 
mordds of the objects he wishes to reproduce. 
When first the electrotype process was dis- 
covered, the electrotyper was obliged to 
confine himself to the use of moulds in metal, 
it being erroneously supposed tliat deposi- 
tion would only take place on metallic sur- 
faces, the discovery, however, that any 
surface well rubbed with plumbago or black 
lead was thereby made conducting, freed the 
artlat once from many of its trammels and 
enabled the operator to use almost any ma- 
terial that would take a sharp impression of 
(he object he desired to copy. 

For seals, coins, and medals, nothing is 
better than ordinary white wax of good 
quality mixed with a little flake white. We 
will supposf. if you please, that you are de- 
sirous of making a copy of the Goddess of 
Libeity on the back of the fifty-cent piece. 

The first thing to do is to procure good 
wax. The common white wax sold at the 
oil-stores isgenerally adulterated with tallow 
or fat, and is a soft yielding material, ntteidy 
unfitted^for the purposes of the electrotyper. 
Yon had better purchase your wax froin the 
apparatus maker who supplies you with your 



battery ; you will pay perhaps a higher price, 
but you will have the satisfacti'jn of getting 
an article that is reliable. This remark will 
apply to nearly all the materials that you are 
likely to use. 

As a rule wax works much better when 
mixed with about one-twentieth of its weight 
of flake white, which may be purchased at 
an oil-store very cheaply. Put the wax into 
an ordinary earthen pipkin, and place it 
near a rather low, clear tire, free from smoke, 
taking care that the heat is only just sufiici- 
eut to allow the wax to melt. When quite 
liquid throw in one-twentieth of its weight 
of flake white, and stir the whole with a 
glass rod or clean tobacco-pij^e stem. When 
fully mixed pour the wax out on a clean 
plate, and, when cool, chop it up into littlo 
pieces and re-melt it. ilepeat the cooling 
and melting once more, and the mixture ia 
ready for use. You need not be particular 
about adhering to the exact proportions of 
wax and flake while given above ; for in- 
stance, a quarter of a pound of the former 
and a quarter of an ounce of the latter form 
an excellent compound, are easy quantities 
to 2:)urchase, and consequently save the trou- 
ble of weighing. Of cc^urse it is better to 
make a large quantity of the mixture at once, 
and keep it in cakes ready for use. 

The coin from which you are about (o 
take a cast should be rubbed over with a 
small quantity of sweet oil, taking care that 
it penetrates into all the finer parts of the 
work. As much as possible of tbe superflu- 
ous oil is then removed with a pledget of 
cotton wool, the fine details being cleared 
with an ordinary sable or camels-hair pen- 
cil. The object of oiling the medal is to 
prevent the wax from sticking to it. by the 
interposition of a very thin film of greasy 
matter. 

You next surround the coin with a slip of 
thin card, about an inch or an inch and a half 
in width, and of suflicient length to overlap 
about an inch. Wrapping the card round 
the coin, mark with a pencil the line where 
the edge overlaps. Y'ou now tack together 
the top and bottom of the cardboard hoop 
with a needle and thread, so as to form a 
little cell for the reception of the coin, which 
will be retained in its ])lace by the natural 
spring of the card. If the coin is heavy it 
will be better to wind some thread round the 
whole, so as to make assurance doubly sure. 
It is almost unnecessary to warn you against 
touching the face of the coin with the finger, 
as yotr will no doubt have guessed that the 
slightest mark will appear in the electrotype 
copy. 

Having melted suffi(nent wnx for the pur- 
pose you require, heat the coin by placing 
it on the hob, or holding it over a gas or 
candle flame, until it is just warm enough 
to prevent the hot wax from being suddenly 
chilled when poured upon it, and yet it must 
not be so hot as to dissipate the film of oil 
with which it is covered. The coin is now 
held steadily in the left hand and slightly 
sloping ia that direction, in order that the 



54 



THE AET OF ELECTKOTTPING. 



melted wax may flow over the surface evenly 
aud gnidimlly. Pour in the wiix geutly and 
contiuuously iiutil it rises nearly to the top 
of the cardboard. The whole is now put 
aside to cool, an operation that will take at 
least two hours ; in fact, it is almost better 
to make the moulds over night and allow 
them to cool until the next morning. When 
the wax has become solid the threads fasten- 
ing the card may be snipped and the card- 
board peeled off,— the mould, with the coin 
adhering to it, being placed aside in a cold 
place. 

At first you will find some difficulty in 
getting perfect impressions, but the failure 
can only result from three causes. First, 
air-bubbles nuty be formed through the coin 
being too cold, pouring the wax with an un- 
steady hand, or from too great a height ; 
secondl}', the wax may adhere to the mould 
so firmly as to resist all endeavors to sepa- 
rate them without destroying the impression, 
a misfortune that can only arise from not 
having left suffifieut oil upon the coin ; 
thirdly, the impression may be blurred and 
indistinct through the iise of too much oil. 

An excellent way to obtain a good impres- 
sion of a coin, medal, or like object, which 
will be found less tedious, is to melt your 
wax in a shallow vessel ; set it aside to cool ; 
meanwhile, oil your object. When the wax 
lias become pretty hard lay the object on 
the wax and squeeze it down with a carpen- 
ter's clamp. In this way we have obtained 
good sharp impressions. 

Having perfected yom-self in the art of 
casting from metal you should next try to 
cast from plaster. This is a somewhat diffi- 
cult operation, but it is one to be learned 
— plaster copies of some of the finest works 
in the way of -coins and medals being pro- 
curable at the Italian image-shops for a few 
cents. Having everything ready for casting, 
place the plaster impression, face upwards, 
in a savrcer containing sufficient hot water to 
rise to half the height of the cast. Watch 
the surface of (he plaster until it just begins 
to look wet. It is then taken out of the 
water, surrounded with cardboard, as in the 
case of the coin, and cast from in precisely 
the same way. Here, agaiii^ judgment is 
required; for if the plaster is made too weti 
the impression will be bhirred, if it has 
sucked up too little water it will nlisorb the 
wax when poured upon it. Someelertrotyp- 
ers saturate the plaster with oil, but this 
method, although good for casting, spoils 
the appearance of the original cast. How- 
ever, the best thing to do is to experiment 
upon both processes and choose the one that 
gives the best result. 

For small seals and coins ordinary sealing- 
wax maybe used, the seal being made in the 
usunl manner, but very much thicker from 
back to front. Before use the card or paper 
should bo soaked off in cold water. 

Moulds of exquisite sharpness are made in 
beeswax and an alloj' of bismuth calie<l fusi- 
ble metal; V>ut the former is difficult to work 
•without special appliances in the form of 



powerful screw-presses, and the latter is too 
dear for ordinary use. If y on know a friendly 
working stereotyper you may get him to cast 
from your plaster impressious in stereotype 
metal, which is peculiarly adapted for ob- 
taining sharp copies of such objects. 

If you can not get the cake wax a good 
substitute will be found in wax candles ; this 
will be found easy to work in as the mould 
does not stick so much. 

Before commencing electrotyping it will 
be as well for you to practise casting until 
you have acquired the method of producing 
good impressious of all sizes, and from both 
l)laster and metal. In fact, you may accu- 
mulate casts during the time that you are 
saving up your dimes to buy your apparatus. 
Too many beginners electrotype from bad 
casts, the results being of course bad copies, 
to say nothing of the waste of time and ma- 
terial. 

Your next step will be to set your battery 
at work. In ; 11 probability the zinc plates will 
have been amalgamated by the maker; but, 
whether they lave or not, it will be as well 
for you to perform the process upon them. 

Make a mixture of one part by measure of 
sidphuric acid and lour of water, taking care 
to pour in the water last. The water must 
be jionred into the acid very gently, other- 
wise so much heat is produced that the mix- 
ture spirts over the hands and clothes. 
S>dphuric acid, or oil of vitriol, as it is gen- 
erally called, is exceedingly poisonous and 
corrosive. Whatever it fdlsujiou it destroys; 
aud although there is but little fear of any 
person driidving it, it should be always kept 
strictly under lock and key. 

The mixture of sulphuric acid and water 
having become cold — for no matter bow 
cautiously you pour the water in, a certain 
amount of heat will always be generated, — 
pour it into a plate or saucer, and place the 
ziuc jilates in it for half a minute or so if the 
plate has been amalgamated, and for a longer 
time if it has not. In the latter case, it 
should remain in the acid until it looks pretty 
clear. You will do well to notice tlie little 
babbles that form upon (he zinc, and rise to 
the surface in thousands. These are caused 
by numberless little voltaic pairs that are 
forujed between the zinc and the particles 
of foreign metals wilh which it is contamin- 
ated. Every one of these decomposes the 
water into oxygen and hydrogen, the former 
gas uniting with the zinc and becomii'g dis- 
solved in the acid liquid, and (he latter efier- 
vescing off in little bubbles like champagne. 
This does, not occur Mith zinc which has 
been amalgamated. The zinc is lifted out 
of the acid, and a small quantity of mercury 
is poured upon it and gently rubbed over 
the surface with a piece of rag, tak'ing care 
not to let the acid touch tlie fingers ; for al- 
though it will not do them any harm, it is 
apt to produce dirty stains that take a long 
time wearing out. You luav, if you like, 
make a little rubber by stuffing a piece of 
rag into a clean tobacco-j)ipe bow 1, reserving 
the stem for stirring your solution. As soon 



.*: 



THE Ar.T OF rLECTKOTYPINO. 



55 



as tlie zinc is perfectly bright in every pnrt, 
tlie superfluous mercury should be removed 
with the rubber, and the plate washed in 
clean M-ater and wiped. It. generally hap- 
pens tliiit with new phites there are certain 
spots thnt; will not amalgamate, in which 
case the plate should be returned to the acid 
solution until tljey take the mercury as read- 
ily as any other part. It often puzzles young 
beginneis to know when these plates want 
re-aiualg:imating: to this qnerj' one might 
really reply by saying — always; in fact, the 
zinc plates used by some of the electric tele- 
graph ccnapanies always stand in a little 
gutta-percha trough of mercury, so that the 
metal very gradually creeps up their surfaces. 
You may easily tell if a plate requires re- 
araalgamation or not by lifting it out of the 
cell, washing it in plenty of cold water, and 
pouring on it, when dry, a few drops of 
mercury. If the mercury flows readily over 
the surface, the plate is still in working or- 
der ; if, on I lie contrary, the mercury refuses 
to unite with the zinc, you may know that 
re-amalgamation is necessary. 

For using the battery two solutions are 
required — one a solution of sulphuric acid, 
for creating chemical action, and, conse- 
quently, electricity on the surface of tlie 
zinc ; the other, a solution of sulphate of cop- 
per, from which we are to draw our supply 
of metal for covering our mould. 

The acid solution for exciting the zinc is 
made by mixing one measure of sulphuric 
acid with twelve of water, care being taken 
to add the water last, as when you were am- 
algamating. An egg-cup forms an excellent 
measure for this purpose, and any quantity 
of acid solution may be made at a time by 
adhering to the proportions given above. 
It is a good thing to keep a stock in hand, in 
a large bottle, so that the acid solution in 
the battery may be changed at a moment's 
notice. Some operators have a slovenly 
habit of pouring strong acid into the spent 
solution, the result being that they get 
themselves into most unexpected difficilties. 
When the exciting solution is exhausted, it 
should be thrown away and replaced from 
your stock. Sulphuric acid is very cheap, a 
pound weight of it being sufficient to make 
five pints of solution. 

The sulphate of copper solution is made 
by pouring boiling water on a quantity of 
the salt — say a pint of the former upon a 
pound of the latter. Tlie solution should be 
well stirred with a glass rod or tobacco-pipe 
stem, in order that the liot water may dis- 
solve as much as possible of the salt. When 
perfectly cold, pour off the blue solution 
from the undissolved sulphate of copper 
(which should be reserved for future use), 
and add to it one-fourth of its bulk of the di- 
lute sulphuric acid you use for exciting your 
plates. The acid is added in order to in- 
crease the power of the solution for conduct- 
ing electrical currents, as it is a better con- 
ductor than either water or sulphate of 
copper solution. Sulphate of copper, bhie 
vitriol, or bluestone, is generally met with 



in a pretty pure stafo. The solution it forms 
is sometimes cloudy at first, but subsidence 
and careful decantation easily remedy this 
evil. 

Wo have now prepared our moulds, zinc 
plates, and solutions, and need only render 
the surface of the wax capable of conducting 
electricity to begin operations. This is 
effected by first gently wiping the wax im- 
pression with a tuft of cotton-wool, to re- 
move any dust or oil that may be on its 
surface, and then applying black-lead to it 
with a soft plate-brush untjl a black and 
brilliant gloss is prodticed. The brush 
should not be too hard, or the face of the 
mould will suffer ; and the best black-lead, 
bought at the instrument-maker's, should 
alone be used. The common quality, sold 
at the stores for domestic jjnrposes, is quite 
useless, being generally adulterated with 
gritty matter. Black-lead, or plumbago, 
was at one time supposed to be a compound 
of iron ; btit modern research has proved 
that it is non-metallic in its nature, being a 
peculiar form of carbon — the chemical name 
for pure charcoal. It may interest you to 
know that coke, lamp-black, charcoal, black- 
lead, and diamond, are only different forms 
of carbon. Plumbago, although rot a metal, 
is an excellent conductor of electricity, and 
an electric telegram might be sent through 
a series of black-lead pencils as easily as 
through an iron vt-ire. The surface of the 
mould, therefore, when well brushed over 
with plumbago, becomes just as great a con- 
ductor of electricity as if it were gilt or sil- 
vered. You must be very careful to use 
sufficient black-lead, so as to produce a con- 
tinuous coating, — indeed, it is hardly possi- 
ble to use too much. The edgps of the 
mould should be black-leaded about half-way 
down ; but the back, of course, is left in its 
natural condition. 

Nothing now remains but to connect the 
mould with the battery, and see the latter in 
action. 

Supposing you are using a single-cell 
Daniell, pour the suljihate of copper solution 
into the outer jar until it readies within an 
inch of the top, and place the porous cell in 
it. Pour the acid solution into the latter, 
takiTig care that the two solutions are level 
with each other. Next slightly warm the 
wire connected with the zinc, and insert it 
in the edge of the wax mould about half-way 
between the back and front. When cool, 
make the electrical connection between the 
wire and mould continuous by black-leading 
tlie point of junction,, vigorously. Bend the 
wire into the shape of a long fj. so that the 
face of the mould may be opposite the mid- 
dle of the flat part of the zinc plate, and as 
near to it as possible. Immerse the zinc in 
the pnrous tube, and, if necessary, bring the 
mould nearer to it by bending the wire. 
The mould may possibly carry down with it 
a number of little bubbles of air, but these 
may bo generally got rid of by tapping the 
wire with a key or knife. If tlicy should 
resist this treatment, the mould must be 



56 



THE AKT OF ELECTEOTTPIKO. 



moved np and down until they disappear ; 
for, if allowed to remain, "on will find per- 
fect copies of them on the surface of your 
electrotype. A little iiiuslin bag of crystals 
of sulphate of copper should be hung jnst 
below the top of the copper solution, so that 
supply may be kept up. 

if everything has gone right, metallic 
copper of a beautifid rose tint v. ill gradually 
spread over the mould, beginning with the 
part in connection with thewiie, and by de- 
grees covering the whole of the black-leaded 
surfaces. The deposition does not begin 
immediately; but when once it commences, 
it goes on continuously as long as any is 
generated. The mould mny be lilted out 
and the deposit examined with impunity, as 
long as it is not touched with the fingers. 
The amount of iiiue necessary for the deposi- 
tion varies vith the size of the mould and 
the power of the battery, from twenty-four 
to forty-eight hours, or even longer. If the 
time is extended beyond twenty-lour hours, 
it is better, if the mould i.s large, to pour 
away the acid solution in the porous tube, 
and reph'nish it. from stock. 

Let me here sny that every time yon re- 
plen'sh the solution in the porous cell yon 
should brush olf the black fur that has formed 
upon the zinc, otherwise your battery will 
not work well. 

■\Vhen the deposit is sufficiently thick, the 
cast may be removed and another substi- 
tuted for it. If yon are careful, you may re- 
move the electrotype fiom the mould with- 
out injuring it ; so (hat, after being freshly 
black-leaded, it may be used again. 

If a hniee's battery is used, the copper 
solution is poured into a separate vessel. 
An ordinary jelly-jar answers the purpose. 
This separate vessel is termed the decompo- 
sition cell. The battery is excited with the 
dilute sulphuric acid for the Daniell. You 
must take care that the ends of the screws 
and wires that come into contact are kept 
clean and bright, otherwise the current is 
greatly enfeebled. The battery being filled 
with the dilute acid, the wire from the zinc 
is attached to tlie mould as before. The 
wire from the si-lver is fustened to a piece 
of copper plate, about twice the size of the 
mould to be covered. The two wires are 
then bent over, so that the copper plate and 
mould maj' be exactly facing each other, 
and about an inch apart. 

As the copper plate dissolves away, it 
must Vie re])laced by a fresh one. You must 
also recollect that every grain of copper 
dissolved is reproducei^ on the mould; so 
that tliere is no necessity in having a bag of 
crystals in the solutions, as in the case of 
the Daniell arrangement. 

The battery solution should be changed 
every forty-eight hours or so. 

At first, no doubt, the young electrotyper 
will succeed in obtaining excellent results; 
but as he continues his experiments he will 
find that instead of getting a nice, even, 
flexible confing of metallic copper, he wil, 
obtain either a crystalline, brittle depositl 



or else a dirty brown powder forms on the 
surface of the mould. These failures occur 
from the electrical current being either too 
weak or too strong. 

If all is not going well the best thing to 
do is to re-amalgamate the zinc plates and 
change the exciting solution. If these rem- 
edies do not have the desired eli'ect we must 
examine the restilt and endeavor to discover 
in M'hat particular we have failed. 

I. — The cojtper deposit refuses to cover 
the whole of the mould. 

This generally arises from there being a 
deficiency of black-lead on the surface of the 
wax. The remedy is obviously to lift out 
the moidd, wash it in clean vater, dry it 
carefully with blotting-paper, and black-lead 
it afresh. There is, of course, no need to 
remove an3' of the copper that has already 
formed, as it will unite with the new de- 
posit. It may as well be njentioned that 
this failure is one of the most common m ith 
beginners. 

II.— -The copper deposits in the form of a 
dark-brown powder. 

This is caused by the electrical current 
being too strong for the size of the mould. 
The remedy is manifestly to lessen the 
amount of electricity received by the mould, 
which may be done in several ways : — 

(a.) By pouring away some of the acid 
solution, and so lessening the surface of 
zino acted upon. 

(b.) By separating the mould and the zinc 
by A greater interval in the case of the Dan- 
iell, or by removing it to a greater distance 
from the copper plate, when using the Smee's 
arrangement. This has the efi'ect of giving 
the electrical current a larger mass of liquid 
to traverse, causing some of it to be lost in 
the waj\ 

(c.) By diminishing the size of the copper 
plate when tising the Smee. 

This cause of failure frequently happens 
when the reproduction of small seals are the 
object of our labors. The batteries des- 
cribed are stifficiently powerful to deposit 
copper on a mould as large as two inches 
square, or even larger. Any mould smaller 
will generally require the power of the 
battery to be diminished before a good re- 
sult can be obtained; or, Avhen the moulds 
are small, several may be attached to the 
same wire. 

III. — The copper deposits in a brittle, 
crystalline mass. 

The remedies for this faihire are so ex- 
actly the reverse of those to be ajiplied in 
the second case that it would be only wast- 
ing valuable time to detail them. In cold 
weather the deposit sometimes becomes 
brittle from the action of the acid solution 
in the zino being slightly diminished, the 
apparatus should therefore be kept at a little 
distance from the fire. This desm-iption of 
failure may also occur from the connecting 
wires not being clean and bright when they 
touch the binding-screws, or from the screws 
not being screwed sufficiently tight. 

You will see that I have given you esann- 



THE AP.T OF ELrCTItOTTI'INO. 



57 



pies of every kind of failure that can occur, 
with several remedies to be applied in each 
case. The choice of these must be left lo 
your own judgment. One good rule to bear 
in mind is that the surface of the zinc acted 
upon should never be more than three 
times, or at most four times, that of the 
mwdal to be copied. If this rule is adhered 
to, and tbe directions for preparing and re- 
newing ihe solutions are complied with, 
there is really hardly a possibility of failure 

Having succeeded in obtaining a deposit 
of sufficient thickness, the copper impression 
is carefully removed from the mould, 
trimmed with a sharp pair of scissors and a 
fine-cut file, and well washed with soap-and- 
■water and a soft brush. It may then be 
cleaned with a little rotten-stone or fine 
whiting made into a paste with water, a sott 
clean piece of chamois-leather being used to 
give it a final polish. 

The bright copjjer surface thus obtaiued 
is very beautiful, but it unfortunatuly soon 
becomes tarnished by exposure to the air. 
except, indeed, it be kept in an air-tight case. 
It is advisable, therefore, to give it an arti- 
ficial tarnish, so to speak, in order to allow 
it to be exposed with impunity. This is 
eifected by the use of a bronzing liquid. 
Of these there are great numbers in u?e. 
One of the best is that recommended by 
Walker. 

Boil for a quarter of an hour, in an earthen 
pipkin, a gill of good vinegar, one ounce 
of carbonate of ammonia, and an ounce of 
verdigris ; the two last ingvedientu being re- 
duced to powder previously. Then mix in 
a separate vessel, a drachm of sal-ammoniac 
and ten grains of oxalic acid in another gill 
of vinegar. When tbe sal ammonaic and 
the oxalic aeid are dissolved, mix the two 
solutions, and boil for five minutes. When 
cold, poiir off the clear liquid, and pre- 
serve in a well-corked bottle. It is used 
by being brushed well over the medal sev- 
eral times, the latter being heated over a 
lamp or candle between each application. 
The depth of color obtained by this method 
is very fine. 

Enough now has been said to enable the 
veriest tyro to carry on the electrotype pro- 
cess with success. If, after all, failure 
should be the result, it will be, I fear, the 
consequence of the lack of one of the follow- 
ing good qualities, — patience, exactitude, 
judgment, and perseverance. 



PLATING IN SILVER. 

We will now describe the processes of 
silver-plating ; for this is what I think 
nearly all amateurs want to do first. But 
hei-e let me recommend the student to 
try his hand in copper first, as it is much 
easier to do, and requires less ex[)erience ; 
for, when you can take good medals in cop- 
per, you will find very little trouble in 
doing the same in gold, silver, or nickel. 

Silver is generally deposited upon some 
other metal, but it is not easy to deposit it 



tipon them all. Tbe best to experiment on 
are copper, brass, or German silver, though 
all the others— as iron, lead, and pewter, — 
can be coated. 

The best way to prepare the silver solu- 
tion is by the battery. This is ellected by 
dissolving one and a quarter ounces of 
cyanide of potassium in one gallon of water; 
then take a porous cup and place within it a 
piece of iron or copper; put it into the solu- 
tion, and fill it with the outside solution ; 
connect tho plate with the zinc end vi the 
battery ; ia the solution outside the porous 
cup place a sheet of silver, and connect it 
with the silver or carbon end of the bi»ttery. 
It will take ten or twelve hours to get the 
solution to a proper strength. There are 
other ways of making the solution, but this 
is the readiest. 

Supposing that you have made ihe solu- 
tion, tlie next thing is to prepare tne article 
t'> oe placed into it. The article to be plated 
is first boiled in a solution of caustic soda, 
which will free it from any grease ; then 
take it out of t'lis solution and wash it, and 
then pttt it into diluted nitric acid, which 
removes any foreign substance that may 
be tormed upon the surface. When it is 
taken out of this solution it is brushed over 
with a hard brush and fine sand. The nitric 
acid us(-d should be very weak. 

The article being now thoroughly cleaned 
and dried, a piece of copper wire is attached 
to it by twisting it around the article, or by 
putting it into some of the open parts and 
twisting it, to maintain the article in sus- 
pension. It is then dipped into nitric leid 
as quickly as possible, then washed through 
water, and then put into the silver solution, 
suspending it to one of the brass rods which 
run across the trough, and whicli is connected 
with the zinc terminal of the b ttery ; on the 
other rod is suspended a sheetof silver, which 
is connected with the carbon or silver end 
of the battery. The article is instantaneously 
coated with silver, and ought to be taken 
out after a few seconds, and brushed well 
with a hard hair-brush and fine s<md. This 
Ijrushing is done in case any foreign matter 
may be still on the surface. After this 
brushing it is again washed and placed in 
the solution, when, after a few hours, a coat- 
ing of the thickness of tissue-]->:iper is de- 
posited on it, having the beautiful matted 
appearance of dead silver. [It must be re- 
marked here, that, in all plating solutions, 
the article must he moved from time to time 
while the process of deposition is going on. 
This is necessitated in consequence of the 
solution in front of the article becoming ex- 
hausted of the metal which it holds in solu- 
tion.] 

If yon desire to preserve the surface in 
this condition, the article must be taken out 
— care being taken not to touch it with the 
han(. — and immersed in distilled boiling 
water for a few minutes. On being with- 
drawn, sufficient he:it has been imparted to 
the article to dry it instantly. If it is a medal 
it ought to be put in an air-tight frame 



58 



THE ART 035" ELECTEOTYPING, 



immediately; or if a figure, it maybe placed 
nnder a glass shade, as a few days' exposure 
to the air tarnishes it. If the article is uot 
^vanted with a dead surface, it may be 
brushed with a hard brush aud stale ale. It 
may be burnished by rubbing its surface 
with considerable pressure with a polishing 
steel or a mineral termed bloodstone. 

We may remark that in depositing silver, 
a weak battery may be uSed ; but if the 
battery is too weak, the silver deposited 
will be very soft. If the battery is pretty 
strong. — say three or four of our cells, 2^ by 
3 inches, — the silver deposited will be as 
hard as hammered silver. So if your silver 
is soft, you know the cause ; knowing the 
cause you know the remedy. 

The average cost of depositing silver in 
this way is about ten cents per ounce. 



ELECTKO-GILDING. 

The operation of gilding, or covering 
other metals witli a coating of gold, is per- 
formed in the same manner as the operation 
of plating, with the exception of a few prac- 
tical modilications. 

The best way of preparing the solution is 
by Ihe battery, as iu the case of silver. Say 
you want to prepare <i gallon of gold solution, 
yon dissolve four ounces of cyanide of po- 
tassium in one gallon of water, and heat the 
solution to ir.O'' Fah. ; now take a porous cup 
and fill it with this cyanide solution, and set 
it in the gallon solution; into this cup is 
placed a plate of iron or copper.and attached 
to the zinc end of the battery. A piece of gold 
is placed in the large solution and connected 
with the silver or carbon end of the battery. 
The whole is allowed to remain in action 
until the gold (which is to be taken out 
from time to tim.e and weighed) has lost the 
quantity required in solution. By this 
means a solution of any strength may be 
obtained ; half an ounce of goUl to the gal- 
lon will be found strong enough. The solu- 
tion in the porous cup may be thrown 
away. For all operations of gilding, the 
cyanide solution must be heated to at least 
130° Fah. The articles to be gilded are 
cleaned in the way described for silver, but 
are not dipped into nitric acid previously to 
being put, into iG;<jld solution. Three or four 
minutes is snfficieut time to gild any small 
article. The article is generally weight d be- 
fore it is put in the solution and after it is 
taken out ; in this way the quantity of gold 
deposited is obtained. Any means may be 
fidopted for heating the solution. The one 
generally adopted is to put the stone pot 
containing the solution into an iron or tin 
vessel filled with water, which is kept at the 
boiling point either by being placed upon a 
stove or over gas. The hotter the solution 
the less battery is required. Generally 
^hree or four cells are used for gilding, and 
the solution is kept at 130° to IfjO" Fah. 
But one cell will answer if the solution is 
heated to 200". 

Gilding is generally performed \ipon silver 



articles. "When the articles are cleaned aa 
described for the silver plating, they are well 
brushed with a very hard brush and fine 
sand, which cleans away any tarnish from 
the surface, aud prevents the formation of 
air-bubbles. They are then kept in clean 
water until it is convenient to immerse 
them in the gold solution. One immersion 
is then given, which merely imparts a blush 
of gold ; they are taken out aud again 
brushed, then put back into the solution, 
and kept there for three or four minutes, 
which will be sufficient, if the battery and 
solution are in good condition. 

Iron, lead, and tin, are very difl&cult to 
gild direct. They therefore generally have 
a thin coating of copper deposited upon 
them by the cyanide of copper solution, and 
immediately put into the gilding solution. 

For very small articles — such as medals, 
tinging daguerreotypes, gilding rings, thim- 
bles. &c. — a much weaker solution may be 
tised. The solution should be sufficient in 
quantity to gild the whole article at once, 
otherwise there will be marks left upon the 
article. If the positive electrode is not 
wholly immersed in the solution, it will in a 
short time be eaten through at the surface 
of the solution. This also applies in the 
case of silver and copper solutions. 

As the solution evaporates by being hot, 
distilled water must from time to time be 
added, but never while anything is being 
plated. The cost of depositing gold is in the 
neighborhood of ten cents per pennyweight. 



NICKEL-PLATING. 

Nickel-plating is attracting a great deal of 
attention at the present time, and is much 
better adapted for a great many articles than 
silver, and costs about the same. Formerly 
nickel was counted a rare metal, but owing 
to the demand for nickel-plated articles, it 
has become much cheaper, and is now one 
of the leading metals of commerce. It is 
very hard, of a grayish color, and when 
polished has the appearance of steel. 

As nickel will not readily adhere to other 
metals, it is necessary to first coat the article 
to be plated in a solution of cyanide of cop- 
per. This requires about four times more 
battery power than that needed to throw 
down silver. Nickel-plating is not a new 
art, as it was one of the first metals deposited 
on the discovery of Electro-Metallurgy, but 
has only recently been lirought practically 
into operation. One of the solutions used 
in nickel-plating is the double sulphide, one 
pound making four gallons. This can be 
bought prepared, and is ready for use by the 
mere addition of hot water. The other 
solution in use is prepared by the battery pro- 
cess, as follows : Make a strong solution 
of sal-ammoniac, four ounces to the gallon ; 
place this in a wooden vat : set in the solu- 
tion a porous cup about six or eight inches 
in height and two in diameter. The size is 
immaterial, but this is large enough for the 
purpose. Fill this with the same solution ; 



THE AET OF ELECTEOTTPIKG. 



59 



place a stout copper wire or slip of copper 
in the cnp, and attach this to the zinc end 
of the battery; to the platinum or carbon 
end of the battery connect with copper wire 
an anode of nickel ; hang this in the solution 
of sal-ammoniac in the vat. When the above 
is connected, as described, to four cups of 
one-gallon carbon batteries, or two four two- 
gallon Smee's batteries, the current will pass 
from the anode to the copper in the cup ; 
but the copper being protected by the por- 
ous vessel, this allows the current (but not 
the metal that is dissolved from the anode) 
to pass through the cup, and, consequently, 
the solution takes up the metal. This makes 
one of the best solutions, giving a good, 
bright deposit, and at the same time a very 
even one. 



ELECTROTYPING FROM A 
PORTRAIT OR PICTURE. 

To do this the back of the picture is 
scraped at one end with a little sandpaper, 



care being taken not to toucVi the face of 
the picture. Flatten a piece of copper wire 
and solder it to the back in the following 
manner : Place a little fine solder on the 
cleaned part, and moisten it with a little sol- 
dering acid. The wire is then held over the 
lamp, about half an inch from the plate ; the 
heat is transmitted through the wire to the 
solder, which melts, and the wire is sol- 
dered. The back is now covered with wax, 
and the picture is then hung in the copper 
solution, the same as a metal. The metal 
is rapidly deposited ; and, wh'^n snflQciently 
thick, the two easily separate, when an im- 
pression of the picture will be obtained, 
with an expression softer and finer than the 
original. If the electrotype is now put into 
a solution of gold and connected with a 
small battery, a beautiful gold tint will be 
given to the picture, which serves to pro- 
tect it from the atmosphere ; but even now 
it must be placed under a glass cover, as 
the air will tarnish it. 



60 

This 
of one 
square 



THE MOSLEM OKACLE. 



The Moslem Oracle. 

cnriosity is a skillfnlly arranged table 
bnntlred letters, set iu the form of a 
as follows: — 



D 


^w" 


W 


A 


1 W 1 


1 H 1 A 1 


B 


H 


I 


C 



I 

A 


s 

A 


1 o 1 

1 A 1 


T 1 D 1 T 1 
"iTE'l N"| 


T 

I 


W 
I 


t: 




T 


"T 


N 


1 T 1 
i T 1 


H 1 I 1 A 1 

uTw'i T 1 


A 
D 1 

N 
1 


H 


T 

E 


I 
L 


A 

N 


E 
J 


1 s 1 

1 cT 


F 1 L 1 I 1 
A 1 D 1 T 1 


U 

C 


R 



E, 


H 


Y 

E 


1 1^ 1 
1 I>l 


nV 1 Y 1 


E 


P 


F 


I 1 I I 1 


A 


E 


L 


N 


s 


c 


1 T 1 


L 1 G 1 H 1 


E 


H 



It is said to have been sometimes used by 
the superstitious Moslems when they were 
in doubt about anything they thought of 
dwng. The rule is to place the finger upon 
the table without looking at it. Then look 
to see on what letter your finger has rested, 
and write it down, with every fifth following 
letter in the table, until you get back to your 
starting place. For example, we will sup- 
pose your finger fell on the letter E in the 
sixth line. You write down every fifth letter, 
and the following appears : Enjoy peace, ab- 
stain and. In reading this sentence, yon 
commence with the first of the letters taken 
from the upper line, and so the xitterance of 
his oracle is : Abstain and enjoy peace. This 
oracle is capable of giving five distinct an- 
swers, as any reader can easily verify ; and, 
commence with what letter we will, we shall 
obtain one of these answers. It is, of course, 
a superstition which gives any authority to 
these answers, but it is curious to observe 
that the oracle is so arranged as to be likely 
to do good rather than harm to those who 
consult it. It contains but one affirmative 
and four negative answers, and it is evident 
that its framer knew that when men hesitate 
about doing an action, it is genendly safer 
to abstain from it than to perform it. Men 
are more disposed to consult oracles for leave 
to do wi-ong than for advice to do right. 

Japanese Cement. Intimately mix the 
best powdered rice with a little cold water, 
and then gradually add boiling water until 
a proper consistence is acquired, being par- 
ticularly careful to keep it well stirred all 
the time ; lastly, it must be boiled for a 
minute in a clean saucepan or earthen pip- 
kin. This glue is beautifully white and 
transparent, for which reason it is well 
adapted for fancy paper work, which re- 
quires a strong and colorless cement. 

Jeweller's Cement.- -Take 6 pieces of 
gum mastic the size of peas, and dissolve 
in the smallest possible quantity of alcohol. 
Soften some isinglass in water, and saturate 
strong brandy wath it till you have 2 oz, of 
glue ; then rub in 2 small pieces of sal am- 
moniac. Mix the 2 preparations at a heat. 
Keep well stoppered. Set the bottle in 
hot water before using. It is said by the 
Turks that this preparation will unite 2 
metalic surfaces, even polished steel, so 
that they cannot be separated. 



Inflammable Ice. 

Take essential oil of distilled turpentine, 
set in a vessel over a slow fire, and melt into 
it some spermacetti, forming a clear, trans- 
parent liquid ; put this in a cool place, and 
in two or three minutes it becomes like ice. 
It is necessary to observe that the spermac- 
etti, to be melted, should be added in snfii- 
cient large piece. Should the season m hen 
you attempt this experiment prove too warm, 
put your vase, when its contents are melted, 
into cold water. As soon as the liquid once 
frozen begins to liquify, pour over it some 
good spirits of nitre, then the whole will 
take fire and be consumed. 



To Change the Color of a liquid in a 
Glass Several Different Times. 
Pour extract of logwood into a glass of 
water, which will give it the color of wine ; 
pour this red water into another glass, pre- 
viously rinsed with vinegar, and it will be- 
come yellow ; empty the water from the glass, 
all except three fingers, and upon this pour 
fresh water, until it becomes the color of 
gray wine, which you can change into the 
Color of vinegar, or muscat wine, which, by 
pouring on more water, changes to the color 
of fine white wine, and by adding a couple 
of drops of ink, it becomes a beautiful bluish 
gi-ay. 



To Make Ice in Summer. 
Fill an earthen bottle with boiling water; 
put into it SO grammes of refined saltpetre, 
and 20 grammes of Florentine iris ; then, 
after corking it strong, place it into a well 
of water, as deep as you can, and let it re- 
main in the well-water two or three hours, 
at the end of which time the water contained 
in the bottle will be frozen. Draw out the 
bottle, crack it, and you will have a lump 
of ice. 



Plumber's Cement— Melt black resin 
1 lb ; then stir in brick-dust, 1 to 2 lb ; 
sometimes a little tallow is added. 

Pesely Cement.— Prepare a solution of 
200 parts of white glue in water ; another 
one of 50 parts of isinglass, 3 of gum-Ara- 
bic, and 3 of tragacanth , and finally, an- 
other of 1 part of bleached shellac in alco- 
hol. Then pour these 3 solutions together 
mix them with 24 parts of white lead, and 
at the last, 12 parts of the best glycerine 
and 200 parts of alcohol. The mastic thus 
obtained should be immediately put up in 
bottles and well corked. 

Iron Cement. — To make an iron cement 
suitable for making rust joints, mix thor- 
oughly 112 lbs, of clean cast-iron borings, 
or turnings, with 8 oz, of sal ammonia, and 
1 oz of tiower of sulphur, and add sufficient 
water. Keep wet when not to be immedi- 
ately used, or it M'ill heat and be spoiled. 

Honey Vinegar. — Mix one pound of 
honey with a gallon of cider, and expose it 
to the sun, or keep it where it is warm, and 
in a few months it will be so strong that 
water will be necessary to dilute it. 



"Vitremanie ; 

OK, THE AET OF TRANSPERRINP ON WOOD, 
CHINA, OR GLASS. 

Transferring pictures to wood or glass is 
fin easy process, yet requires nice flngeriug 
to be successful. It lias laiely been revived 
M'ith additions, in England, as a means of 
decorating windows, autl is fashionable work 
there under the title of vitrenianie. Indeed, 
transferring is the base of all those pretty 
ways of gilding the hours which have littered 
centre-tables with clippings and gums, florid 
roses and cnpids and French grisettes, glass 
panes, wood panels, and bisque vases, while 
the mysteries of potichoiu: use. decalcoma- 
Uie. and the like, were going on. 

The surface to which the picture is to be 
transferred may be wood, glass, or stone. 
Hickory or whitewood panels are the best, 
as they have no grain to show between the 
lines. Pine wood, painted with white-lead 
ground in half oil and half varnish, dried 
carefully and rubbed with rotten-stone after 
the third coat, makes a good surface. The 
effect of the engraving is improved if the 
ground is tinted straw-color, of the smooth 
shadow tint of lithographic stone, which 
throws out the ink with surprising clearness. 
In some parts of the country it is possible to 
get pieces of smooth soft limestone, which 
receive the transfer beautifully, and have a 
mellow ground tint. It is worth while some 
morning to walk into a stone-yard and see 
what it has to offer in the way of unconsid- 
ered trifles of broken marble slabs, soft lime- 
stone, and slate. These may be cut in shape 
for paper-weights, lamp-pedestals, and feet 
for vases, or tiles to ornament a mantel or 
window-seat. Brackets, hanging shelves, 
book-racks, the sides of book-cases, box- 
covers, hall mouldings, and staircases, may 
be decorated with panels of stone or wood 
in transfer. There will be a choice of sub- 
jects for these different uses, in which real 
taste comes into play. A view of Melrose 
or a French head will answer equally well 
for a holly wood work-box ; English scenery 
will decorate the tiles set about a window or 
book niche ; the host of roses, butterflies, 
Cupids, and such fancies l)est suit table orna- 
ments; the figures of animals may furnish 
a series of panels for the base-board of the 
ball or stall's ; the medallions in the mould- 
ings of chamber furniture may be covered 
by a thin piece of whitewood, not to say ivo- 
rine, glued on or set in with a lovely bead. 
A crew of grotesques may laugh on a banner 
screen, and they may be every one cut from 
the scenes of plantation life or the cartoons in 
Harpei-'s Wee/d>/. The most uncouth figures, 
cut from old-fashioned wall-paper, may be 
transferred to window-glass orslates. painted 
with dark green, l)lite. or brown, in varnish 
colors, with the slightest degree of skill, and 
furnish tiles for a j irdimere that do not ill 
resemble majolica. But the most convenient 
subject for transfer yields also the finest ef- 
fect. All l)roken plate.i and saucers of stone 
china, delf, or porcelain, that have three 



VltEEMAUlfi. Ql 

square inches of flat surface may be covered 
with vignettes, tempting and soft as if pen- 
ciled on china. 

But how? asks the impatient reader who 
is always anxious to get at the kernel of a 
paragraph, and to find how her story is to turn 
out. and will have her materials gatiiered to 
begin before she reads the column through. 
Suppose she confiscates a square old-fash- 
ioned white platter from the dining-room 
closet, and a steel engraving from the jh't 
Journal — very nice beginnings both. The 
picture must be placed face upward in a shal- 
low dish of warm soft water, in which a great 
spoonful of salt is dissolved. The dish must 
be large enough to hold the picture without 
curling the edges, which should be cut off 
close to the print. Leave the picture till it 
IS thoroughly soaked through, which will take 
from twenty minutes to an houi% according to 
the thickness and quality of the paper. Leave 
a bit of margm to soak at the same time for 
trial. When it is soft enough to peel without 
being pulpy it is time to take the picture out. 
The platter should receive a coat of transfer 
varnish on the side where the picture is to go. 
If the bottom has no stamp or embossed let- 
ters, it will be most convenient to work on, 
and the edges will form a bevel. Commonly 
the face only is available. It must be free 
from cracks, figures, and chippings, for the 
least of these will tear the picture, and spoil it. 
Heat the platter, and brush thinly M'ith trans- 
fer varnish, which is sold at artists' shops, but 
is readih' made by mixing six ounces of fir 
balsam with twelve of spirits of turpentine, 
both of Mliich are found at the druggist's. 
Shake well, strain through muslin, antl it is 
ready for use. Copal varnish is also good for 
this purpose, but takes longer to dry. Have 
ready an old sheet, folded in four; lift the 
picture from the water by slipping the hands 
under it, and lay gently on the cloth, Mhich 
must be folded over it to absorb the moisture, 
'V^hen it is only clamp, and not the least wet, 
lay it M'ith the printed side down on the var- 
nished plate, one end at first, smoothing it 
with a soft cloth as it falls in place, that no 
blisters remain tinder it. Place on it a smooth 
board or slate, and put it in press or under a 
weight for six hours. Then sponge the pic- 
ture with warm water, absorb the moisture 
with soft cloths ; let it lie half an hour, and 
begin rubbing it gently with the finger-tips 
till the paper peels away, leaving a faint film 
over the engraving. Rub till the lines of ink 
show through the film, taking great care not 
to destroy the film or make a hole in the pa- 
per. This is the nicest part of the work, for 
the paper must come off" evenly all over the 
plate, andevery part of the engraving apjtear. 
If the paper dries, sponge it slightly till it 
peels readily ; if too wet, leave it dry a little. 
When done, let it dry thoroughly, and covet 
with two coats of the clearest white varnish, 
which will strike the film and bring out the 
picture while it preserves it. 

Paint the edges of the platter any neutral 
tint that will bring out the picture, if it is to 
be colored ; if not, coat them with white paint 



62 



VITEEMAirrE. 



in Tarnish, which will give an ivory-smooth 
border. Cover the engraving in the latter 
case with a very thin, clear sheet of glass, 
held at the edges by strips of niaroon or gray 
velvet, glued on in the strongest nifinner. 
Heavy narrow ribbon may be nsed in the 
same waj', and afterward gilded. The sloping 
edges of the plate are to be covered with vel- 
vet to match the beading, and the whole let 
into a narrow, flat, grooved frame of maple, 
ivory, or ebonized wood, with white edges. 
If the artist has a slight knowledge of draw- 
ing in India ink, the picture may be touched 
np to resemble a fine copy rather than a jirint. 
On wood the process is much the same. 
The panel must be varnished, the picture 
pressed, peeled, and finished as on china, but 
the last coats must be copal varnish. If the 
picture is to be colored, it must be coated with 
strong size, made by breaking a sheet of isin- 
glass into a small cup of boiling water. This 
is applied before varnishing, and dried, when 
the figures are covered with a wash of the 
lightest shade of color desired. Thus grass 
should be touched with the sunny tinge in 
which it appears in sunlight, dresses with the 
palest shade that appears in high light, for 
the dark lines of the engraving furnish the 
depth of tone. Paints mixed with varnish will 
give beautiful specimens of enamel-work on 
wood. To imitate tile-work a pattern of wool- 
embroidery may be transferred, sized, and 
painted in varnish with solid colors — dark 
red, blue, brown, and light yellow, without 
shading. This is easy for a novice, the only 
care being to keep the edges of figures dis- 
tinct. For this end a fine black line may be 
drawn, outlining each when finished. 

The application of transfer to glass is suscep- 
tible of most attractive effects. Thick pieces 
of beveled glass are sold by mirror-dealers 
that vary in size from three inches to a foot 
square, with ovals to correspond, at prices 
from twenty-five cents to five dollars. The 
small pieces are available for paper-weights, 
feet for lamps, vases, and cushions ; the lar- 
ger for panels and box-covers. But common 
window-glass is as useful if clear and free 
from cracks. The picture is transferred as 
to china, but the tinting otfers the widest field 
to fancy. The clearest varnish, the highest 
colors, and mosaic patterns are called for, 
with central figures of saint, or queen, or 
angel encircled withboixler of jeweled color, 
perhaps on backgrounds of gold. A glance 
at Eossetti's mediteval designs will give the 
best notion of what is wanted. If figures are 
jiot desired, old English texts or letters may 
be illuminated in this way with mosaic bor- 
der or grounding. A print of Adolph Hen- 
ning's cherub in the illustrated papers not 
long since is a good subject for transferring 
to glass. The fair hair of the chenib might 
be touched with gilded rays, his wings under- 
tinted with rose, his robe deep blue or sky- 
color, and the deep diapered border painted 
in dead gold. To such an extent is this 
transfer-work carried in England that altar 
and hall windows are decorated in this way, 
with effect not inferior to stained glass. ~ 



The Lampascope. 

Many of our young friends will be pleased 
to hear something of this simple invention, 
so capable of aflbrding them amusement. It 
consists in the application of the principle of 
the magic lantern and the dissolving views 
to an ordinary table lamp. To construct a 
lampascope (presuming the possession of a 
lamp), the' ordinary globe must be removed, 
and in its place a cardboard box, — square, 
round, or octagonal, as is njost convenient to 
make, — must be substituted ; and into one 
side of this two tubes of cardboard must be 
inserted, after the manner of an ordinary 
magic lantern. Into these tubes, Avhich slide 
one within the other, lenses are to be fixed, 
say the lens nearest to the light shall be of 
two inches focus, and the one in the inner 
tube or outer lens of three inches focus. Ac- 
cording to the rtlative power of the lenses, 
so will be the size of the pictuj'e on the wall : 
thus the lenses will be of various focuses, and 
not exactly, unless convenient, to the mea- 
sure we take as the example ; which, how- 
ever, will be well imderstood by those whose 
knowledge of Jhe laws of optics may induce 
them to make this lampascope for the enter- 
tainment of their friends. Between the lenses 
and the light a place must be made for the 
purpose of inserting the slides of figures to 
be represented on the wall upon which the 
disc of light is thrown. These figures may be 
painted on glass slides by the amateur him- 
self, or purchased ready for use. Some very 
beautiful views, portraits, &c., may now be 
had on glass, applicable to this purpose, pro- 
duced by the collodon and photographic pro- 
cess, and at a price suitable to most pockets. 
Having thus far constructed the instrument, 
we have only to hang up a sheet against the 
wall to make it white, and having put our 
lampascope on to the lamp a round disc from 
the lenses will be shown on the sheet. The 
tubes may be regulated like a telescope to 
make the picture distinct ; and according to 
the character of these so will the exhibition 
be, "grave or gay, lively or severe." 



Self-Turning Cross. 
Take a piece of straw, cut about the length 
of your finger ; and, before announcing the 
trick, twist the end a couple of turns. With 
another piece of straw, make the arms of a 
cross and plant it in a crack in the table. ' 
Drop upon the head of the straw a couple of 
drops of water, and command it to turn As 
the water descends through the straw into 
the twist you have made, it will cause it to 
unwind and revolve, although fastened. 



The Sign of the Cross. 

Make with a pen and ink a streak in. your 
hand along the lina which goes from the in- 
dex to the little finger. You ask some one 
in the company to cover your hand with a 
hat which you make him hold ; and while he 
holds it, you bend your hand as if to close it. 
You open it immediately, and invite him to 
take the hat away, and the cross is made. -^ 



63 



HOW TO MAKE A MAGIC LANTERN. 



The Ma,2;ic Lantern is one of the most 
pleasing of optical instruments, and has al- 
ways a charm of the most attractive nature 
for youni; folks. It is used to produce en- 
larged i)ictures, which, being i)ainted on 
glass, are thrown upon a white sheet placed 
against the wall of a room. A small lantern 
may be bought, with everything complete, 
and a dozen slides of painting, for a few dol- 
lars; but as some may prefer to try their 
skill in making one, we have prepared the 
following simple directions: — 

Materials for the Lantern. — A Lan- 
tern, that is to say, the box, case, or frame, 
may be made of wood, tin, or thick paste, or 
millboard. If made of tin, j'ou must call in 
the assistance of a tinman to cut the tin and 
solder it up together. If made of wood, you 
must have the assistance of a carpenter, or 
borrow a saw and a plane, a hammer, and 
various other tools. If made of pasteboard 
or millboard, you will require nothing but a 
glue-pot and some strong melted glue, some 
sheets of millboard, and tlie various dimen- 
sions can be cut into shape with a strong 
pair of scissors or a good sharp knife (the 
best for the purpose is a shoemaker's knife), 
and, with the assistance of a sharpening 
stone, a good edge can be put on the knife 
when blunted by cutting the millboard or 
pasteboard. 

Millboard is made in sheets of various de- 
grees of thickness, and can be bought by the 
sheet at the bookbinder's or stationer's. Cut 
the sheet into pieces about a foot square, 
and then paste on pieces of old newspapers 
until it gets a good thickness, and press tiie 
whole together by placing it in a binders 
press, or between two boards with a heavy 
weight on the top, so tiiat all the pieces 
wanted for the lantern — sides, top, and bot- 
tom (six in all), can be served in the same 
way, and a very strong and cheap material 
procured for makin*- the box to hold the 
light, and carry the tube that contains the 
lenses. 

Making the Lantern. — Take four i)'eces 
of thick pasteboard, prepared by any of the 
methods described, ai)outeiglit inches square. 
Two pieces must be quite plain; the other 
four must be as follows: tiie top-piece must 
have a i)lace cut out to put on the chimney 
or tube, to take away tiie smoke from the 
lamp; tiie front piece must have a place cut 
out to take the scjuare frame or groove in 
whicli the pictures are inserted, and to carry 
the tube in wiiich the lenses are jtlaced; 
another piece must liave a portion cut out of 
the centre, and hinged on witli pieces of 
leather, to serve as a door; while the bottom 



l)iece must have holes about half an inch in 
diameter made in it to admit the air, as this 
bottom must be kept off the tal)le-top, or 
whatever the lantern may rest on during ex- 
hibition, by two pieces of wooil ai)out a 
cpuirterof an inch thick and one inch broad; 
these pieces must be glued on to tlie bottom 
edge from front to back, in ortler to let air 
up through the holes in the bottom, to enable 
tlie light to burn clear, and not fog the 
glasses. 

These six pieces must be glued, jiasted, or 
otherwise fastened together, with tiie chim- 
ney at the top, and the tube in front. To 
complete the lantern there must be tlie box, 
the lamp, the reflector, the chimney for top, 
the tube for front, and tiie lenses. When 
the lantern is finished, give the whole of it a 
good coating of glue-size, and then paint it 
black inside and out, either with thin oil-color 
or lampblack and thin glue, and, finally, a 
thin coat of varnish on the outside. 

If a tin lantern is preferred, the best way 
would be to take the "instructions" to a 
tinman, who could make one without diffi- 
culty, and fix the lenses which would be given 
hiin for that purpose. 

The lenses can be obtained at the optician's, 
and must be fastened, one in the end of the 
tuiie, with a piece of wire bent round at tlie 
back to keep it in place, the other nearer the 
lantern, and just before the pictures that are 
to be reflected through. Any optician who 
sells the lenses will tell you wliicli to use for 
tlie front and which for the back, and how to 
obtain the focus. The tube should be about 
six or eight inches long, but all the various 
dimensions must be regulated liy tlie size of 
the lantern and the power and quality of the 
lenses. The box we have described would 
carry lenses about two inches in diameter, 
but smaller ones may be had, if desired; 
then the lantern may be smaller in propor- 
tion. 

The Lamp and Reflector. — The lamp 
must be made of tin, witii a wick about half 
an inch broad, filled with sperm oil, and if a 
glass chimney can be placed over it, it will 
burn clearer, give more liglit, and be more 
free from smoke; any tinman will make one 
for a few dimes. Tlie reflector is a round 
piece of tin, "hollowed up" as they call it, 
and fastened to the back of the lantern, or 
on the back of the lamp; the latter must be 
placed so that the bright part of the flame 
comes about the midille of the lens, and 
when lighted, must slide backwards or for- 
wards until the jiroper place is discovered 
that shows the picture best; generally about 
the middle of the lantern, or rather nearer 
the lens. 



64 



HOW TO MAKE A MAGIC LAH:TEBK. 



Painting the Pictures. — There are three 
ways of doiii^ Uiis: either to i)aint tliem in 
triiusparent water-color, to ])aint them in 
jirepared oil-colors, or to transfer small 
prints or lithographs by means of varnish to 
l)iece3 of glass, and then use them. The ma- 
terials requisite for each or all of these pro- 
cesses will be sable brushes (the common 
camel-hair are of no use, for they do not 
keep their points), some ox-gall, prepared, 
pome cakes of transparent water-color, as 
Prussian blue, Vandyke brown, raw sienna, 
burnt sienna, Italian pink, and lake. For 
oil-Cf)Ior, the same ground up in oil and en- 
closed in tubes, a bottle of turpentine, some 
mastic varnish, and a little japanner's gold 
size. 

But the most simple plan is the transfer 
process, which we will descrilie presently. 
If you decide to paint your views in water- 
color, you must get some clear pieces of 
glass, free from cracks or scratches, and 
clean it with a little of the prepared ox-gall; 
then, when the glass is thoroughly clean, 
(li'V, and free from grease, fasten the draw- 
ing, i)rint, or whatever subject you wish to 
paint on it to the back with a lillle gum at 
each corner; then, with a line sable brush 
lilled with India ink or neutral tint, go care- 
fully over the outline; when dry, lill in with 
the water-colors very lightly, never going 
over the same i)lace twice; when this is all 
dry, give it a coat of varuisli all over, and 
put aside to get hard. 

"When haril and dry, go over those parts 
with water-color that want strengtiiening 
and making bolder, to bring them out, ob- 
serving, as l)efore, never to go over twice in 
the same i)lace till the lirst is dr}', and give 
it a coat of thin varnish between each coat 
or lint of water-color. 

If the subjects are to be painted in oil-color, 
the outline must be carefully marked out 
with black and a little japainier's size; and 
when set linn and dry, the various tints laid 
on in the same way as the water-color, only 
that there needs no coating of varnish be- 
tween each body of tint, but let the glass re- 
main for the i)icture to get dvy. 

When all the tnits are on, and the subject 
is strengthened u\) and made as efl'ective as 
required, a final coat of varnish may be put 
over it. 

Transferring Prints. -The transfer meth- 
od before referred to is very simple, and, 
when carefully done, very etlective. Select 
a clear piece of glass, and give it a coating 
of thin mastic varnish, then take a small, 
clear, clean wood-engraving or lithograph, 
and slightly damp the back by laying it a 
few minutes in wet blotting-paper, then press 
it down on the varnish-side of the glass, the 
impression-side downward; i)lace a piece of 
dry paper over this, and ml) it gently to get 
out the superfluous varnish and all the air- 
bubbles, — this can best be done by the edge 
of a bone ])aper-knife, — place a M'eight upon 
it, and leave it a couple of days to dry; give 
It i)lenty of time, or you will spoil it; when 
thoroughly dry and fixed, wet the back and 
gently rub all the white paper away with the 



finger or a bit of damp sponge, when the 
sul)ject and lines of the engraving will be 
found fixed on the varnish ; tlie picture may 
then be tinted with oil-colors, and, with a 
final coat of varnish, is ready to exhibit in 
the lantern. By this easy method many 
good subjects may be prepared that would 
take a very great deal of trouble to paint 
and draw by hand. 

In coloring the pictures, the colors must 
be laid on very thin; the comic heads and 
figures introduced in the illustrations can be 
fastened to a piece of glass slightly at the 
corners to keep the subject from slipping 
al)out, and the outline traced as before de- 
scribed, and when thoroughly dry, color ac- 
cording to taste and fancy. 

To succeed it is most essential to keep the 
brushes and colors very clean and free from 
dust, and not proceed in a hurried or slovenly 
way, as dust, dirt, and carelessness, are great 
enemies to glass painting. 

When the lantern is all ready and the slides 
all painted, which slides, if in single, round, 
or square i)ieces, may be protected by having 
a piece of clear, clean glass, placed over the 
painted and varnished side (this will keep 
them from getting scratched or injured; they 
can be bound together with a paper edging, 
or put into wooden frames made for the pur- 
pose. 

Giving an Exhibition. — In exhibiting the 
views, have a screen of fine muslin or white 
calico fastened tight against the wall, or a 
white wall will answer the purpose as well. 
Everything must be in good order: the lamp 
well trimmed so as to burn clear and free 
from smoke. To get a clear picture the lan- 
tern must be shifted to or from the screen or 
wall, and the tube liolding the front lenses 
gently drawn in or ])ushed out until the 
l)roper focus is obtainiKl, which will easily be 
found by placing your slide upside down in 
the square aperture at the end of ihe lantern- 
tu)»e. The room in which it is intended to 
exhibit must have no other light in it, but be 
as dark as possible, or the efl'ect of the light 
in the lantern passing through the pictures 
on to the wall or screen will be lost. 

A much better effect may be produced, if 
it can be managed, to show through the 
screen. To do this, however, it is necessary 
to have a very strong light, and thin muslin 
must be used for the screen, which should 
be wetted in a pail of water and slightly 
wrung out before fastening it up. 

dissolving views produced with one 

LANTERN. 

A pair of lanterns are usually employed to 
produce dissolving views, but a very good 
exhibition of them nmy be given as follows: 
Put in the ))icture out of focus you wish to 
show first, and slowly bring up the focus 
until it is jierfect. Then as gradually alter 
the focus until the picture is again indistinct; 
quietly slip in a second picture, and at the 
same time remove the first. Again bring the 
focus up, and the picture will be as distinct 
and bright as the first was. This may be 
continued for any number of pictures. 



HOW 10 IME m WORK AN ELECieiC lELEGRAPH. 



In making our experiment on tbe magnet- 
ic properties of volUiic electricity, we found 
that by passing a wire over or under a mag- 
netized needle we could, by altering the di- 
rection of the current passing through it, 
turn the needle to the right or left at will, 
and that bj' prolonging this wire we could 
convey signals to any distance. 

An upp.iratus for transmitting and receiv- 
ing electricil signals consists of the needle 
and coil for showing the signals, the commu- 
tator or contrivance for changing the direc- 
tion of the ciarrent, and a certain amount of 
wire for conveying the current. 

The size of the battery for working the 
apparatus will depend on the length of the 
wire through which the current passes, the 
number of cells — which uec d not be larger 
than 5 in. by 4 in. — being increased in jiro- 
portiou. Of course you will want a separate 
needle, instrument, commutator and battery 
for each end of the line. 

Take two pieces of smooth pine or maho- 
gany, each 8 in. long, 6 in. wide, aud | in. 
thick. Round off the coi-ners of them, and 
screw firmly together, as shown in fig. 1 . In 
the centre of the upright one cut an obloug 
hole about 1 j in. long and | in. wide, as in- 
dicated. So far, tbe stand on which the aj)- 
paratus is to be fixed. You must now make 
the coil. 




FIG. 1. 



Take a piece of wood 3 in. or 4 in. long, 3 
in. wide and | in. thick. Eound off the 
sides, and cut on each face two grooves about 
a quarter of an inch from each edge, so that 
then the wire is coiled upon it j'ou can pass 
a piece of string uuderneath the wire to keep 
it together. Next take about 30 feet of No. 
20 cotton-covered wire, and coil it round the 
piece of wood about ten times. Tie it firmly 
with well-waxed twine, by passing it through 
the grooves already described. On the top 
of this make two more coils of the same size, 
and tie each firmly with waxed string as be- 
fore. Slip the whole of the piece of wood 



aud make a second coil perfectly similar in 
all respects, taking especial care to wind the 
wire in the same direction. The two coils 
should be separated from each other by about 
3 in. or 4 in. of loose wire. You must now 
well varnish them with ordinary white hard 
varnish, so that they maj' not be affected by 
damp. If you wish to be very smart you 
can use red sealing wax dissolved in methy- 
lated spirit. 




We must next make what is called an as- 
tatic magnetic needle, that is to say a com- 
pound needle, so constructed as to be unin- 
fluenced or nearly so by the earth's magnet- 
ism. First magnetize two stout sewing-nee- 
dles about 2^ in. long, so that their points 
shall be North poles, then take a piece of 
brass wire 3 in. or 4 in. loug, aud al)out as 
thick as an ordinary pin, or a little thicker, 
and tie the two needles on it. at right angles, 
with well waxed silk, as shown at A D, fig. 
2, with the contrary poles facing each other. 

You will next require a piece of brass, half 
an inch wide and one sixteenth thick. This 
may be procured at any metal KlKqi for a few 
cents. Cut off a piece about three inches in 
length, and bend it into the shape shown at 
ABC, in figs. 2 and 3. At A, a hole 
should be drilled to receive one end of the 
brass axis of the compound needle. This hole 
oiight to be a little smaller than the brass 
wire of the axis, which should be carefully 



65 



66 



HOW TO MAKE AND WORK AN ELECTRIC TELEGEAPH, 



tapered ofif with a fine file at each end, so 
that it may not slip through the hole. At the 
other end, at C, figs. 2 and 3, another hole 
should be made, through which to screw it to 
the face of the upright board. It must, how- 
ever, remain unfixed until the very last thing, 
as its position will depend on that of the back 
support of the axis of the compound needle. 
A reference to fig. 4 will show how the double 
coil is fixed in its place by means of a piece 
of bent brass. In the middle, at D, figs. 2 
and 4, a hole is drilled, similar to that in the 
front sup2)ort, so that it not only serves to 
keep the coils in their places, but also as a 
pivot on which the compound needle can 
swing. Having fixed the coils firmly in their 
places, about an eighth of an inch apart, so 
as to give the needle all the benefit of the 
current, and tapered the ends of the brass 



-«eaB£ 





FIG. 3. 



FIG. 4. 



axis, you must next screw on the front sup- 
port, as shown in figs. 2 and 3. This will 
require very careful manipulation, for it is of 
the greatest possible consequence that the 
two holes in which the axis swings should be 
perfectly level and exactly opposite each 
other. If, instead of making the screw hole 
at C round, you make it oblong, you will 
have the meaiis of adjusting the front sup- 
port to a nicety. The holes in the brass may 
be easily made with a file, the tip of which 
is ground on a whetsone to a three-cornered 
point; but, of course, if you are able to do 
so, it is better to use a drill. You should 
spare no pains over the adjustment cf the 
needle on its axis, otherwise you will be con- 
tinually troubled by its sticking fast just 
wh^n j'ou are in the middle of a message. 

You will most likely find that the com- 
pound needle will not hang quite perpendic- 
ularly; if so, it will be necessary to attach a 
tiny piece of wax to the lower end of the 
back needle. It sometimes happens also, 
that if the needles are too short, there will 
be some difficulty in bringing them to rest 
a ter they have been moved: to remedy this, 
the front needle may be made rather longer 
than the back one. On each side of the frout 
needle there should be fixed two little stops 
of ivory or wood, as shown at E, figs. 2 and 



3, to prevent the needle turning quite round 
when the current is passed through the coil. 
Having completed the signalling portion of 
our telegraph, the next thing to do is to de- 
scribe the method of making the commutator 
or contrivance for changing the direction of 
the coil. 

There are a large number of commutators 
in use, some of which are exceedingl.y simple 
while others are just as complicated. The 
one I am going to describe belong to the 
former category ; indeed, so simple is it in 
its construction, that I saw one made a few- 
days since with the aid of a couple of hair- 
pins, two pieces of copper wire, a scrap of 
fire-wood, and half a dozen tacks, which might 
have been used to work through the Atlantic 
Cable. Our commutator will not, however, 
be quite so homely. 

The commutator is fixed on the base-board 
of the apparatus, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6- 



g^C 







Fig. 5 gives a side view, fig. 6 a bird's-eye 
view of the way in which it is put together. 
In fig. 5 A B is the base-board. G a piece of 
brass half an inch wide by a sixteenth of an 
inch thick, reaching from one side to the 
other, and screwed down firmly to the base- 
board. D is a block of wood half an inch 
wide and one inch long, also screwed down 
to the base-board flush with the edge ; there 
is a corresponding piece on the other side 
(D', in fig. 6), so that a piece of brass H, si- 
milar in all respects to C, will Ibrm a kind of 
bridge when screwed down to those little 
blocks. E is a slip of wood half an inch wide 
and 7-16ths thick, which reaches quite across 
the board, and is firmly screwed down to it. 
F G is one of two slips of brass, of any con- 
venient length, say t'owv inches, and of the 
same breadth and thickness as the others, 
which we shall henceforth call the right and 
left hand keys. Before being fixed in thtir 
places they must be well hammered, so as to 
convert them into springs ; they are then 
screwed down to the wooden slip E, so that 
when untouched they remain in close contact 



HOW TO MAKE ANB WOKK AN ELECTRIC TELEGEAPH. 



CT 



with the brass bridge H. When either of them 
is pressed dowu, it will touch the brass slip C 
aud when the finger is raised to its former 
position. 

Fig. 6 is a bird's eye view of the apparatus, 
the same letters being used as in tig. 5. It 
also shows how the ditferent parts of the com- 
mutator are connected with the battery and 
signalling apparatxis at each end of the line. 
Thus the brass bridge H'H is connected with 
the copper, and the brass fillet C'C with the 
zinc of the battery. 

We will now suppose that yon have made 
two instruments, with batteries, commutators, 
and coils complete, one to work in the front, 
the other in the back jjarlor. We will call the 
first No. 1 and the second No. 2. We also sup- 
pose that you have laid two lines A aud B of 
No. 20 cotton-covered copper wire between the 
two stations. Beginning with apjiaratus No. 
1, connect the brass bridge with the copjier 
and the brass slip with the zinc of the batter}'. 
Connect the left hand key with the coil No. 1 
and the other end of the coil with line wire A. 
Connect the right hand key with line wire B. 
So far apparatus No. ], No. 2 is connected 
in a i^recisely similar way. Connect the 
brass bridge of commutator No. 2 M'ith the 
co])per aud the brass slip with the zinc of 
battery No. 2. Connect the left-hand key 
with one end of coil No. 2, the other end be- 
ing joined toliue-wire B. Connect the right 
hand key with liue-wire A, and the whole 
series of connections is complete. If you 
draw them out on parser first, you will find 
very little diflficulty in the matter. 

You now post your companion at No. 2 ap- 
paratus, you yourself being at No. 1, and you 
press down let us say the right key of your 
own commutator. If your needle moves there 
is no doiibt about his needle moving also. 
If, however, neither moves you must have 
made some mistake in the joining up the con- 
nections : or else their surfaces are dii-ty at 
the points of contact. A vigorous application 
of the file pr a piece of glass-paper will soon 
remedy this defect. Another cause of fail- 
ure in the connections may be the keys not 
pressing with sufficient force against the brass 
bridge, or through their not quite making 
contact with it when pressed down. 

You will also possibly find that the needle 
is so disobedient as to move to the right when 
you press the left key and vice versa. This 
fault is easily set right by reversing the con- 
nections of the battery. 

Having succeeded in getting your needles 
at both ends of the line to work in harmony 
you must next set yourself' to learn the fol- 
lowing telegraphic alphabet or code as it is 
technically termed. II of course means once 
to the right, K R twice to the right, and 
so on. 



LL 

RLL L. 
RLE L. 
RRL... 

L 

LLRL.. 



RRL g 

LLLL ■■■■ h 

LL ;;; i 

LllER j 

RLE ■ fc 

LRLL \_ I 

R R m 

EL H 

EE E o 

LEEL p 

EELE ,, 

L E L ,. 

L L L ., 

R ■■.'.: t 

L LE ,( 

L L L E V 

L E E j/j 

ELL E X 



E L E E . 



EEL L 2 

The best way to begin is to commence with 
the simplest letters first these are e, t, a, i, 
m, n, and to send words composed of these 
backwards and forwards until you find you 
can use them M'ith ease. Then'add o which 
is three E's, and s which is three L s. aud so 
ou until you have gained the whol. . 

The connections between the wires and the 
brass bridge aud slip, ought by rights to be 
soldered but it is not every boy who is jjos- 
sessed of this very useful accomplishmeut. 
In default the best way of joining uj) is to 
brighten the brass well about the screw hole, 
and then screw down the wire which must 
be made into a hook large enough to go 
round the screw, flattened and brightened so 
that the two metals shall be in as close con- 
tact as possible. The connections between 
the commutator and the coils aud the line- 
wires should also be soldered, as mere twist- 
ing is apt to work loose. You miA.st always 
recollect that weak electric curreuts such as 
you would use are decreased in strength by 
having to pass through a tine wire, con- 
sequently if the point of contact is reduced 
to a minimum a large amount of working 
force is wasted. All points of contact should 
therefore be as flat as possible, or in the case 
of two wires the points of ccmtact should be 
made very numerous by twisting them to- 
gether several times, 'if the connections 
are not soldered they will require looking to 
now and then. 

Having got your instruments into working 
order, and having acquired some little dex- 
terity in telegraphic manipiilation. you will, 
no doubt, feel a great desire to remove your 
stations further apart ; one at the end of the 
gardeu, lor instance, and the other in the 
play-room at the top of the lioiise. If you 
increase the length of your line-wires, you 
will also have to increase the number of cells 
in your battery. In order that yon may be 
able to do this int'lligently, it will be as 'well 
to say a few words as to the power of bat- 
teries in general. It must be borne in mind, 
that it is the size of the plates and not the 
number of cells that constitutes the working 
power of a batterj'. The number of cells 
simply increases the travelling power, so to 



68 



HOW TO MAKE AND WOEK AN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. 



speak, of the electric current. Let us sup- 
250se for iustance that the stations of your 
telegraph are oulj' a few yards apart. If you 
were to try to move the needle with a cell 
containing plates a quarter of an inch square, 
j'ou would most likely fail. If you increased 
the number of qiiarter inch cells to fifty 
connected together alternately, you would 
still fail in moving the needle. Here the 
l^ower is too small, although the sending force 
is large. Increase the size of only one of the 
cells ^:ay to three inches sqi;ave, and you ob- 
tain a most vigorous movement of the needle. 
Now increase the distance between your 
stations to, say a hundred yards and the re- 
sult is a failure once more. The force is 
there, but it has not the "legs" — to use a 
cricketing phrase — to carry it so far. Add 
two or three cells and the sending power is 
immediatt'ly increased. So that the work- 
ing force depends on the size of the plates, 
while the jiower to send that force to a dist- 
ance, is influenced by the number of cells. 
You must also remember that the travelling 
power of the current is equally dependent on 
the size of the wire through which it has to 
pass. In (he case of long lines, therefore, it 
is most economical to use thick wire in order 
to keep down the number of cells as much 
as possible, 

In carrying your line-wires from one station 
to the other, you must take great care that 
they do not toucli any metallic or damp sur- 
face. If you can aff()rd to use gutta-percha 
covered wire, well and good ; if, however, 
you are obliged to piif up with bare copper 
or iron, you must take care to keep it well 
insulated bj^ wrapping a thick coating of 
solid gutta-percha round every part that is in 
contact with any support. If you look at the 
telegraphic wires that run along the side of 
our railways, you will find that they are all 
most carefully insulated by being passed 
through porcelain or earthenware supports, 
otherwise the electric current would "leak " 
into the earth. 

The above account of the diiference be- 
tween the working s.nl travelling power of 
an electrical current is perhaps not absolute- 
ly correct, but is quite near enough for all 
practical purposes. To explain the matter 



fully would necessitate the use of compli- 
cated mathematical formulae, not to speak of 
the danger of angering the most indulgent 
of editors, by allowing my power of travel- 
ing over paper, to pass beyond its proper 
limit. 

Your stations being now at some distance 
apart, you will not be able to call out to one 
another when you wish to make a communi- 
cation ; you will therefore have to contrive a 
calling apparatus for each end of the line. 
This portion of the arrangement is very 
easily made. A horseshoe electio magnet of 
I about the size recommended at 225 of the 
present volume, the helix of which is con- 
nected with the line-wires, is fixed on a piece 
of board, with its poles' stand upright, above 
it is suspended a little lever of soft iron 
working in a pivot. One half of the lever 
rests about a quarter of an inch from the 
IJoles of the magnet, the other end resting 
about the same distance below a little bell. 
When either of the keys is pressed down at 
either end of the line, the iron horseshoe is 
made magnetic, and attracts the iron lever, 
the other end of which strikes the bell. 
When the key is released, the lever falls 
back again. This little apparatus is so simp- 
ly put together that with the knowledge you 
have already gained you will have no dif- 
ficulty in understanding it without illus- 
trations ; in fact, you need not adhere im- 
plicitly to the directions given above. Thus, 
instead of a bell, you may use a piece of 
hard wood, and give your friends a series of 
spirit-rapping seances that will rather as- 
tonish them, more especially if you keep 
your telegraphic instrument out of their, but 
not of your, sight. When the line is in work, 
a little wooden wedge may be inserted tempo- 
rarily between the poles of the magnet and 
the lever, or the lever may be turned aside, 
otherwise you will create a continual ringing 
or rapping that would be rather a nuisance. 

The code of signals given above is that 
known iiniversally as the " single needle 
code." As you become practised in the art 
of sending messages you will find it con' 
venient to invent a series of arbitrary signals: 
such as R E for ''repeat," L L for "under* 
stand," R L for "go on," and so on. 



illiiAA<llii*i ^^rt i l iA A i V*-*-*^^«"*-'^^-*''^'*^»-M i frAi^ i tAt^^ 



THE ''MAGNET" HAND-BOOKS. 



OFFENBACH'S 



BALL-ROOM MANUAL. 



DancincT ns an elegant accomplishment has eror 
stood piomiiieiit, because no other art or exercise 
can give tlie iudiviiliial tliat graceful demeanor and 
easy deportment so essential to a correct appear- 
ance in cultured society. As it is not ahvays con- 
venient to have recouise to a teacher of dancing, 
this work aims to supply the deficiency. In tliis it 
has been very sneoessful. By a series of practical 
and lucid instructions the art of dancing is so sim- 
plified that any one can become proiicient in the 
urt 

WITHOUT THE AID OF A MASTER. 

Tn addition to specific detailed instructions as to 
Jio^v to dance, it gives some very valuable in- 
formation relating to 

Organizing a Ball. 
Bail-Room Toilet. 

Etiquette of the Ball-Roonn. 
Managing and Arranging 
the Ball-Roorn. 

All the Popular Dances are given, and the 
whole is illustrated by numerous cuts and <liagrams, 
making the art so simple that the most ignorant 
can become expert in it. Price 25 cents. 



BURNS' GUIDE 



Being a Concise yet Full Exposition of the Elements 

of the Latest and Most Improved Method of 

Stenographic Writing; 

And Illustrated by Numerous riatex, having Printed 
Keys for the use of students. 

"Burns' Guide to Phonic Shokthand" is based 
wholly upon a system that has been reduced to 
every-daj' practice. The signs are all constructed 
on .simple plans ; and, while capable of being written 
with extraordinary quickness, can be read easier 
than the jilainest print copy. Instead of confusing 
eyesight and intellect with a vague mass of complex 
signs, intended to represent useless letters, each 
sign plainly indicates a sound ; and as the sounds 
In all languages are few. and the conglomeration of 
letters endless, it stands to reason that this i)honic 
method is incomparably easier of acquisition than 
any of the old methods. 

A boy of twelve by this method will learn in a 
week what it would take an adult a year to learn 
by the obsolete way. 

All the leading stenographers are fast dropping 
their old style to use "Burns' Phonic Shorthand." 

It is hardly necessary to point out the advantages 
of Phonic Shortliand writing. Every young man 
about to start in the world will find this art of im- 
mense service to him. To say nothing of its ab.solnte 
necessity to an editor, a press or legal reporter, it 
is valuatdo to clerks, lawyers, travellers, and mer- 
chants. In short, a man in any profession thor- 
oughly posted in Phonic Shorthand, has liis capacity 
for busine.ss almost doubled, if it is merely to record 
at once in his memorandum-book tnuisnctions and 
conversations and agreements. Price 25 cents. 



THE AMERICAN 

Horse-Owner's Guide 

AND 

PRACTICAL F ARRIER A ND DOCTOR. 

There is no one who owns, cares for, or works r 
horse, who can afford to be without this work. It 
is .just the handy, comi)lete. and juactical manual 
th.it has long been needed by horse-owners. It is 
written by a well-known veterinary surgeon and 
horse-dealer of great experience, .so that no matter 
of iuiportance relating to the horse in all stages of 
its existence is neglected. This work thoroughly 
informs you about — 

The kind of Horse to buy. 

To detect Horse-Jockey Tricks. 
To manage a Horse. To shoe a Horse. 
To break and train Horses. 

To cure all kinds of Horse-Diseases. 

There is nothing relating to 
BUYING, BREEDING, REARING, TRAINING, 
SHOEING, FEEDING, TAMING, BREAK- 
ING, AND DOCTORING HORSES, 

but is thoroughly detaih^d. In addition, is given 

ttie Art of Trainiiis and Taming Uors«8 

by a new method. And it tells — 

lIoiT to make a Horse lie down. --To Ciitcli a Wild 
IIorse.--To Drive the Wildest Horse. --To Teach 
a Horse to Pace. "To Make a Horse stand. --To 
Make a Horse sit on its Haunches. --To Make a 
Horse come down for Mounting:. -- To Make a 
Horse follow you. — To make a Horse Stand 8tiU 
without Hitchins.— To Break Horses to Kide. — 
To Prevent a Horse liuunin? Away. 
This great practical fvork on the Horse is 

only S.'i cents. 




JOLLY TIT-BSTS 

For Mirthful Mortals. 



It is not too much to say that this book contains 
the principal and 

Choicest Humor in the Language. 

Its size is mammoth, containing over 1,000 
of the 

Raciest Jests, Comiral Hits, 

Exhilirating- Stories, Flowers of Wit, 
Excruciating Jukes, Upro.irious Poems, 
Rollicking Songs, Laughable Sketches 

Darkey Comicalities, Clown's Efforts, 
Button-Bursting Conundrums, 
End-Men's Jokes, Kurious Scenes, 

Plantation Humor, Knte Sayings, 

Funny Caricatures, Ludicrous Drolleries, 

Hifalutin' Dialogues, Peculiar Repartees. 

In fact, it is a complete 

"Joe Miller" and "Tom Brown," 

in one volume. All the Great Comic Stars 

refer to it, because they can find in it sometliing 
to "touch the funny-bone " everv time. It contains 
an immense collection of Irish Bulls, I>utch 
Coniicalitir«i, and Yankee Tarns, aflbrding 
fun for a lifetime. ITumorou.'«ly illustrated by lots 
of Komikal Xuts. Price 25 cents. 



Copies of the above Books sent by Mail to any address on receipt of price. 



,.itt..At»AAAA ^jt^4 tf..f| , >«Ai^ ^ ^^ l ^rt 4t^ 4 i t 4 4*«^ tt >**> M l 



. » A A A i| 1 A tJ 



MEVV AND INDISPENSABLE MANUALS. 



These Books r:re the very b«st ever issued upon the various eubjects of which they treat. Each vol 
nme is complete and perfect, and thoroughly practical. Each Book contains 100 pages lar^e 12mo, 
well printed, aud bound in handgome illumiuated covers. 

PR9CE TWE!^TY-FSVE CENTS EACH. 



THE WHOLE ART OF AMUSING, 

For PuUic or Private Eakrlaininents. 

An entirely new work by the celebrated Profes- 

8ur RAYMOND, on 

MAGIC, CO^'JURING, LEGERDEMAIN 

AKO PitES'I'IDIGITATION. 



It is a complete expose of the Wizard's Art. 
No trick ©r illusion of iinportaiioe is left unno- 
ticed, and the instructions and explanations are 
po simple and exhaustive that a child could per- 
form them. This Book thoroughly elucidates aud 
explains all the mysteries and wonders associated 
with 



BLACK MAGIC, 
WHITE MAGIC, 
IJATORAL MAGIC, 
GALVANISM. 
LEGERDEMAIN, 
ELECTRICITY, 



ALCHEMY, 
JUGGLERY, 

SLEIGHT OF HAND, 
NECROMANCY, 
CARTOMANCY, 
CHtMlSTRY, 



PRESTIDIGITATION. 
It tells how to make, operate, and perform 
with 

Coins, Cards, Tireworks, Mechanical Devices, 

and Magnetic Contrivances, 

The Book also contains a large collection of 

RIDDLES, COMUKDRUKS, CHARADES, ENIGMAS, T3ANS- 

PeSITIOKS, REBUSSES, PUIILES, ACCROSTICS, 

ANAQSilAMS, PARADOXES & PROBLEMS.. 

A Btndv of this interesting work would make 

anyone thoroughly expert in amusinji; either a 

public or private audience.— Price 25 Cents. 

How to Write a Letter, 

A COMPLETE LETTER WRITER, 

FOR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. 



This Book i.^ not a collection of letters and 
examples, as is ^'cuoraily the case with all " Com- 
plete Letter Writers" now in use, butit is a book 
^vhich actually tells how to write a letter upon 
any subject out of the writers' '-own head." It 
pives much very necessary information relating 
to 

PLHCTKATION, SPELLING, ORAMMAR, WHITINQ FOR THE 

F3ESS, LE6AL IMPGRTAHCE OF LETTERS, LOVE, 

CQUISTSHIP AHQ MARRIAGE. 

It also contains the Art of Ilapid Writing, 

by the abbreviation of longhand, and a 

DICTIONARY OF ABBHEVIATIONS. 

This Book is worth its weight in gold to all. 
No one can fail to be benwlited by some of the 
information it contains. It contains all the points 
and features that are in other Letter-Writers, with 
v«ry much that is new, original, and very impor- 
tant, and which cannot be got in any other book. 
Price 25 Cents. 



THE AMERICAN BOOK OF 

iEHAVIOR, 

A complete Hand-Cook of Modern Etiquette, 

FOR U D1E8 AKD CEHTLE KES. 

A perusal of this work wi 11 enable every one to 
rub off tlie rough husks of ill-breeding aud nog- 
lecteil education, and substitute for them gentle- 
manly ease, and graceful, ladylike deportment, 
(as the case may be), so that their presence will 
be sought for, and they Will not only learn that 
great art of being thoroughly at home in all socie- 
ties, but w ill have the rarer gilt ot making every- 
body around them feel esisy, contented and happy. 
This work is fully up to the requirements of the 
times; it describes the ftiquete of our very beat 
society. 

It teaches, (what all should learn): — 
How to enter a room, and how to loavo it. — 
How to accost or notice Ladies or Gentle- 
men in the Street. — How 1o Ureas well, and 
yet not garishly. — Eow to give and receive 
Introductions.— What hind of Cards to have, 
and how to present or send them — The pro- 
per mode of giving Presents — How to shake 
hands and bid good-bye — How to be^in, 
conduct, and end a Conversation. — How to 
accompany acquaintances on the Promo- 
cade. — How to seek a Partner in the Lanco, 
or how to decline an Invitation — How to 
behave at Dinners, either as Host or Guest. 
How to hehavo during Courtship and Mar- 
riage. — How to 'play the affable' at Church, 
at Parties, i^c. 

Get at oncp this greatest Tland-Booh of Modem 
Etiquette. — Price 35 Cents. 



OR, THE WHOLE AHT OF ATTAINING 

BODILY VIGOR, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, OEAUTY 
OF FEATURE AND SYIviMETRY OF FORM, 

WITH THE 6CIENCE OF 

Dressing with Taste, Elegance &. Economy. 

To those to whom Nature has been sparing in 
its gifts, suggestions are here otlered that will 
enable them to overcome tliese defects, and to 
become beautiful, elegant and graceful, and to be 
admired and sought after by the op])o>itc sex. 

Among numerous other matters, it tells; — 

How to Improve the Complexion.— Make Cos- 
metics.— Remove Freckles.— Make the Eyes 
Beautiful.— Cause the Eye-lashes and Brows 
to grow long.— Prevent the Hair falling off. 
Prevent Grey Hair.— Cause the Beard and 
Moustache to grow— Cure Baldness— Remove 
superfluous Hair.— Preserve the Teeth— Cure 
Toothache— Have White Hands— Cure Corns- 
Cure Pimples — Invignnte the System — In- 
crease the Memory— Prolong Life — Cure Ner- 
vous Ailments — Increase the Vital Forces- 
Produce Physical Vigor, etc., etc. 
It gives a vast amount of otier equally impor- 
tant information, which ea^niot be euumeialed 
here.— lUttstrated.— Price 35 Cents. 



i»yyTTTT i i Kfyi>yyvv» >» ti i f »y»» vfvv* »» * **» ^ ' f V ' V 



Copies of the above Books sent by Mail to any address on receipt cf price. 



t'^-^'^^" " f ^ " ' ' " ' ^ ^ ' ^Utttitttttttt^ititttiHAAtAAttititttttmttltAAttttttmmt, 



Ti^E "iMi^oisrET" pi-A.isr ID -book:s- 



Hunters' and Trappers' 

COMPLETE GUIDE. 

A Practical Manual of Isstruetion In the Art of 

Hunting, Trapping and Fishing. 

This book will be foitnd very valuable to those 
who have not had experieuce in thei?e healthy, 
manly and profitable pursuits. The young sports- 
man can loarn how to use the Gun or Rilla with 
cage and precision, and become an unerring shot. 
The mystery of making, setting, and baiting traps 
piiccesslullv, is shown. The best methods of 
catching all kinds of fieh, either in the sea, lake 
or river, is told practically and understandingly. 
The wliole art ot managing and training dogs for 
sporting purposes, and all about the care of skins 
and furs, so that they will bring the highest mar- 
ket price, is given, with a vast amount of other 
valuable information relating to the Hunter's 
craft. 

ABSTEACT OF CONTENTS. 

The Art of Gunning.— The Rifle and how to 
use it — Rabbit, Snipe, Partridge, Woodcock 
and Wild Fowl Shooting — Deer and Buffalo 
Hunting — How to make Traps. — Setting and 
Baiting Traps. — Specific directions for Trap- 
ping and Snareing all kinds of Birds and 
Animals. — Fishing, Baits, Hooks, Lines and 
Rods — Stretching and Curing Skins — Dress- 
ing and Tanning Skins and Furs — Coloring 
and Dyeing Skins and Furs, &c., &c. 

The book is Indispensable to all who delight to 
Fish, Hunt or trap, either for sport or profit. 
The instrnctions will enable any one to become 
thoroushiy expert in the sports and pastimes of 
the rirer, field or forest. Illustrations are given 
where needed, as in the coustructiou of traps, &c. 
Price 35 Cejats. 



,«w.« ^ DIVERSIONS 

WITH CARDS. 



An entirely new work, containing all the Tricks 
and D(H;eption8 with cards ever invented, incliW- 
inp the latest Tricks of the most celebrated con- 
jurors, magicians and Prestigitators, popularly 
explained, simplified and adapted 

FOR HOME AMUSEMEHT AND SOCIAL ENTERTAINMENTS. 

To lovers of the marvelous and ingenious this 
baok will be a perpetual source of delight. 
There are^ 

THcks performed with Slelght-of-Eand.— B7 Mental Cal- 
culation.— By Meacry.— By the Arran^ment of the 
Cards.— By the aid of Confederates.- By the aid of 
liicchanical Contrivances, 

The whole so elucidated that any ono can, with 
a little practice, perform the most difticiilr, feats, 
to his own satisfaction and to the wonder and 
admiration of his friends. There is al«io added 

A Complete Exposure of all the Card Tricks 

made use of by Professional Card 

Players and Gamblers, 

To guard the unwary from being cheated by these 
professional sharpers. It contains also 

THE ART OF FORTUNE TELLING BY CARDS. 

These features make it the best work ever pub- 
lished on Card Tricks. It is handsomely gotten 
up, and illustrated with numerous eugraviugs. 
Price no Cents. 



FORTUNE TELLING 

IMEADE EASY; 

OR, 

The Dreamers' Sure Guide, 



This is the most comprehensive Fortune Teller 
ever published. It gives plain, »ertain and cor- 
rect rules for foretelling what is going to happen. 
It contains all that was ever made known by the 
ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, 
Chinese and Hindoos relating to the occult sci- 
ences. Much has been procured from overlooked 
sources, and transcribed from the original hiero- 

flyphics. The substance, also, of all that has 
cen brought to light by the researches and in- 
vestigations of modern Astrologers is here laid 
before the reader in a plain and intelligible man- 
ner. 

The Book contains, among many other equally 
important things: — 

The Science of Chiromancy.- The celebrated Grecian Ora- 
cle of Destiny.- Tho renowned Egyptian Fortune Tell- 
ing Tahlets.— The Great Hindoo Trial of Destiny.— 
Charms, Spells and Incantations.— To procure Dreams, 
Tokens, and other insights into Futurity.— Love's 
Cordial.- The Witchea' Chain.— Strange Bed.— To see 
a future Eashand.— The Lovers' Charm.— Eymenial 
Charm.— How to tell a person's Character.— Fortune 
Telling hy means of a Tea or Cofes Cup, by Dice and 
Cards, and by tho White of an Egg.— Lucky Days.— 
Dreams and their Interpretation.— The making of Tal- 
ismans, &c., &c., &c. 

This Book will tell you truthfully about your 
destiny, your prospective marriage, j our business 
prosp'Cis, your love aftairs. Anything you want 
to kncno can be readily ascertained by consulting 
this mysterious oracle. 

Ths Book is a perfect Oracle of Fate, and 
may le consulted with certainty upon all matters 
that relate to your present or future prospects. 
Price 33 Cents. 

The Practical Magician, 

— AND — 

VENTRILOQUISTS' GUIDE. 



To those desirous of learning the Art of Magic, 
a work is now for the first time ofl'ered that will 
impart the necessary instniction. By a series 
of systematic lessons the learner is conducted 
through the whole field of 

ISagic, Conjuring and Legerdemain, 

the whole science is so simplified that a few les- 
sons will cuahio any one to perform the most 
perplexing and wonderful tricks and illusions 
equal to any of the great Wizards, Magicians and 
Prestidigitators of the day. 

There is also given complete instructions for 
acquiring 

THE ART OF VENTRSLOQUISM. 

The instructions are so very simple and practi- 
hal that no one can fail to acquire this amusing 
art, and become a proficient Yentriloquist and 
Polophnriist. Illustrated with numerous engrav- 
ings — Price 35 Cents. 

Note. — This series of Books is without a peer. 
They are, in evei-y particular, first class. They 
mut-t not be confounded with a small class of 
diminutive pamphlets that have been extensivcl)' 
advertised by means of circulars. Each volumo 
of the "jVafliiet Hand Books" contains 100 pages, 
well printed on heavy paper, and is bound in 
Illuminated Covers, a iid will be sent to any ad- 
dress on receipt of Twenty-Five Cents. 



lf»» » 'r^ *> li < l »VMHHI 



timrsk'ttM£i ■ annnri '■iimi ffiinMiiiiirMnrrrrr'frir" 



■tMtotfCMMtflitlMUaMMIHHWM 



SSMMMMMiaM 



Indispensable to the Success of the Public Speaker and Debater. 



AND 

THE RECITER'S COMPANION, 

This i? a book that cauiiot be too highly recommended to those who are ambitions to appear in 
public, whether in the Legislature, Church, Town Meetiiii:, Lecture Room, Lod^e, or Social aud Fes- 
tive occasions. It is junt ih^ *)oolc needed by the yount; beginner, being a reliable guide lo iriiard liim 
from errors and false habits, and point out the best and proper methods to attam a good delivery, with 
ease, elegance and fluency of speech. 

Among the matters treated are the following: 

Ho-w to Acquire tlie ^rtidiid— The Guttural and Aspirate Qualities— MaiiaffCEnent 
of the DloutU and Kose— Practising tUe Voice— Loudness— Diet— Maiiagcuieitt 
of tlie Ereatli— Parsing— Pltcli-Tinje or Movement— Articulation— Stnutuicring 
and Stuttering- Pronunciation- Tlie A»i}irate— Letter R— Accent— Eiaspltr.sis — 
Touie- Bianlt Verse— Rhymed Verse— Dramatic Reading— Action— Facial Ex- 
pression—Silent Practice— Recitation— Imitation. 

All that is necessary for teaching any one to become a proficient speaker is plainly and clearly 
expressed.— i^rioo 20 Cents. 



[Tim 14 



This book shows how any one with an ordinary 
voice I an, b ■ proper management, as here indi- 
cated, beciiine proficient in singing. It explains 
the pure Italian method of 

PSODUCINa /.IID CULTIVATING TEE VOICE ; TEE 

KAHACEL'EilT OF TEE EEEATE AI-TD VOICE 

0EC-AH3 ; THE BEST WAY OF IHPEOVINd 

THE EA2 ; ZO^ TO Sim A BALLAD, 

•with much other valuable information, equally 
Useful to Professional singers and Amateurs. 

CONTENTS. 

The Sikoinq Voice— Thk Italiaw Method of 
Producing the Voicb— Nasal Singing— How 
TO I'H.vcTicE Singing — Management op the 
Breath- Singing by the Ear— Taste and 
Expression — Colds and Hoarsbness — The 
Tebth — Preservation op the Voice- Im- 
proving THE Musical Ear — Articulation 
AND PrioNUNciATioii— General Hints— How 
to Sing a Ballad. 

Price 20 Cents. 



THE 



ikS^Wg 



A Manual of Instruction in the Aits cf 
PAINTING, VARNISHING and GILDING, 

With plain rules for the practice of every depart- 
ment of House and Sign Paiuiiug. 

CONTENTS. 

Colors, and How to Mix them — Compofnd 
Colors — Oils— Varnishes— PoLrsHEs — Gild- 
ing Materials — Miscellaneous Materials 
— Griwdino and Washing Colors— Cleanli- 
NE8H IN Working— Practice of PArNTiNG— 
Practice op ^'ARNISHING and PoLifniNG — 
Practice of Gilding- Instructions of Sign 
Writing — IIarmont of Colors — Pirdp- Eve 
Maple in Distemper— Satin Wood— Mahog- 
any IN Distemper — Mahogamy in Oil— Kosb 
Wood. 
This book is thorough in detail in every branch 

of Painting, tsy it? aid every man can become 

his own Painter, in wnitever kind of work he 

desires to undertake. 

Pi-ice 25 Cents. 



THE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE, 



AND 



SURE GUIDE TO RAPID V'/EALTH. 



Fortunes are made every day h" the manufacturing and selling of some of the articles here given 
Directions are here given for the making all kinds of 

Cosnetics, Patent Medicines, Lotions, Soaps, Ointments, Cements, &c., 

THE SECRETS USED BY METAL WOEEEKS, 

HOW TO MAKE GOLD, SILVER, AND THE VARIOUS PRECIOUS STONES. 

With many practical directions for ■working and using the commoner metals. The secrets of the 
liquor trade are fully detailed, and the choicest receipts and formulas are given for the making of dif- 
ferent kinds of liquors, including the new method of making cider without apples, all vsrilhout the use 
of poisons or poisonous drugp Lt is arranged and divided into departments for the use of 

LIGOOR DEALERS, DRUGGISTS, MANUFACTURERS, FARMERS, MEDICAL MEN, THE HOUSEHOLD, 
CONFECTIONERS, HUNTERS, TRAPPERS, PERFUMERS, ARTISTS, Ac. 

No one, whatever be his position in life, can fail to find something in this book that vcill replay a 
hundredfold its cost. Many of the receipts have been advertised and sold at sums ranging ii-om 25 
cents to $500, and there are many nevsr ana highly valuable receipts never before published, and pro- 
cared by us at great expense. As a handbook of reference. It la indispensable to every family. 

I»rice 35 Cents. 



Copies of the above Books sent by Mail to any address on receipt of Price. 



About Ourselves. 

We frequently send two or three of Oj' Catalogues to a customer when we can 
do it without paying extra postage. If you who read this paragraph should hap- 
pen to get two, please oblige us by giving away one of them, as it might be the 
means of gaining a new customer for our Books, which would benefit us, and be 
very little trouble to you. 

GRAMMAR MA 

A nU INTERESTING COOK ON A PROVERBIALLY PRY AND UNINTERESTING SUBJECT. 

The author has, with a tact and skill which shows him to be a thoroujrh mastei 
of the sulyect, strippjed the laiiffaa<;e of all unnecessary verbiajr« and fjone riffht to the 
point and matter absolutely needed. It is, in fact, the grolden j^rains of grammar, 
sifted from the useless mass of chaff" thnt it is usually invested with. The l)0<ik is eepe. 
cially ajlapted for those who have arrived to years of underf-tandinjj, but who have 
never had tlie opportunity of acquiring pcraminatical knowledg-e, and also for tlx)se who 
have in early years had some kuowledjje of it, luit who have neglected or forgotten to 
practice it. By a perusal of this small manual, a person gets, with small effort, that 
which takes with the ordinary Grammars now in use, months of dry, tedious drudgery 
to get an3-tliing like a fair knowledge of the English language. 

It is a complete Manual of Instruction for Correct Speaking, Writing and Spelling, 
for Adults.— I»ric« i£i> CeiJis. 

WITH ELEGi^NCE AND EASE. 

A valuable little manual for the use of Readers, Writers and Talkers. It shows 
the most prevalent errors that the inexperienced fall into. The examples are made 
extremely ])lain and clear. In every case the correct forma are giveu. It should be 
the companion of every person, young or old, who desires to speak, write or read with 
precision and correctness. — PRICE 15 CENTS 



There are few persons who have not at times been in doubt respecting the true 
pronounciation of a word they desired to use. Even those who have had the advan- 
tages of a liberal education are frequently confused and confounded by the uncertainty 
of the correct sounding of words they need to ex]iress their views. This uncertainty 
can now be avoided. By the aid of this book the hardest words or most difficult terms 
in the English language can be pronounced with absolute ease and accuracy. It con- 
tains also much useful infonnati'^n relating to the chfiice of words, and giv<'S rules for 
pronouncing French, Italian, German, Russian. Danish, Norwegian and other foreign 
words that are constantly occurring in the current literature of the day. 

Price 15 Coiits. 

SLAfi Al yOLGM PMASES AND FOEiS. 

A COLLECTION OF OBJECTIONAL WORDS, INACCURATE TERMS, BARBAR- 
ISMS, COLLOQUAILISMS, QUAINT EXPRESSIONS, CANT PHRASES. 
PROVINCIALISMS, PERVERSIONS AND MISAPPLICATION 
OF TERMS, AS USED IN THE VARIOUS STATES 
OF THE UNION. 

As a Dictionary of local peculiarities and State idiosyncrasies it is a curiosity, and 
deserves a place in every librarv. The whole collection is arranged, explained and 
corrected.— PRICE 15 CENTS. 

Copies of the above Books sent by Mail to any address on reeeipt of .Fhc9. 



How to Send us Money. 

in remittingr money by mail, it is safest to procure a Money Order, or Register 
the Letter wfiere the amount is too sma'l to require a Bank Draft. Prompt attention 
is given to Mail Orders. Be particular to write plainly your Name, Town, County, 
and State. 



Leltfir-WriliflE lie Easy, 



COMPOSITION SIMPLIFIED. 



This book will be a delightful surprise to those 
who have had occasion to refer to some of the 
many ■complete" Letter-Writers that are publish- 
ed. It is not merely a collection of letters or ex- 
amples, but it enters into the difllculties of the 
writer, and tolls him how to write his own 
thoughts. Its suggestions are of untold value to 
those who use or expect to use the pen, enabling 
them to write on any topic with ease, elegance, 
and freedom. 

Instructionp are given for writing the Compli- 
mentary Note; the Friendly lietter 5 th« 
Business Letter; liove. Courtship and 
Warriaere 5 togetherwith Hints on "Writintj 
for the Press; Hints on Spelling; Hints 
on the Direction of Foreign jLetters ; 
Hints on Runctuation ; and a great amount 
of othel- information of value to that large class of 
persons who are constantly ne«ding a work of 
this kind. 
Says a distinguished writer on this subject: 
"A well-written letter has opened the way to 
prx>8perity for many a one, has led to many a 
happy marriage and constant friendship, and has 
secured many a good service in time of need." 

An Invaluable Hand-Book far Every Person. 

Do not fail to secnre a copy, thereby saving 
yourself much anxiety lest your letters on various 
themes should be improperly written, and yourself 
the object of ridicule. 

Price 30 Cents. 



THE 



TiXIDEBMISTS' GlIIDE, 



The Art of Colldcting, Preparing, Mounting, tni\ 

Preserving all kinds of Animals, Birds, 

Fishes, Reptiles, Insects, etc. 



This is a truly valuable and indispensable worh 
for the use of the Naturalist, Traveler, and Ama. 
teur, or anyone who delights in oUi*erving tha 
intereetiHg and mnltifarinus pnjdncts of Nature, 
It gives plain directions for skinning, stuffing and 
mounting all animals, from a mouse to an ele. 
phant. Also, how to Catch, Skin. Preserve anil 
Mount all kinds of Birds, both land aud water 
Also, the best methods of 

Preservingr Birds' Nests and Eggs, 

IT TEACH'ES THB AET OF 

SRINNma, PSESERVINa AND SETTIMQ UP REPTIiESt 
FISHES AN3 MOLLUSOOUS ANIMALS, 

including Tortoises, Turtles, Crocodiles. Lizoid*, 
Serpents of all kinds, Proo;s and Toads. It alH> 
gives the best methods of Collectini'. P?ef><rrvin^ 
an3 Polishing all kinds of Land, Marine a&d BrwS 
Water Shells ; the art of 

Breeding aid Rearing Insects, and Prcfariiig Skeletons, 

including a number of the bent receipts used by 
the most eminent Taxidern7lst.=< r.,' Kiirope, for 
various ariicles used in tiie preservation and 
setting up of animals. 

JUustraUd by many First- Class Engravings. 
Price ilO Cents. 



THIS IS AN ENTITELY NEW WORK, 

Containing all the Trick* and Diversions with 
Cards ever invented, 

IWCLUDINQ THE 

LATEST TRKRS OF THE MOST OELEBBATED 

mmm, magicians & prestigitators, 

Popularly Explained, Simplified and Adapted for 
Home Amusement and Social Entertainment 



To lovers of the marvelous and ingenious, thiw 
book will be a perpetual source of enjoyment. 
There arii Tricks performed by Sleight-of-Band ; 
Tricks by Mental Calculation ; Tricks by Memory ; 
Triclis by the Arrangement of Cards; Tricks by 
the aid of Confederates, and T#cks performed by 
the aid of Mechanical Contrivances — the whole so 
elucidated that anyone can, with a little practice, 
perform Uie most difficult feats, to his own satis- 
faction aud to the wonder and admiration of his 
friends. There is also aAdcl a Complete Ex- 
posure of all the Card Tricks made use of by Pro- 
fessional Card Players, BlacRlegfl and Gamblers, 
to guard the unwary from being cheated by these 
professional sharpers. These features make it 
the best work ever publisued on Card Tricks. 

It is illustrated with numerous Engravings, 
handsomely gotten up. 

Price 30 Cents. 



Tke only Book pnblijtoa that really teaches the Art of Magic. 

THE lAlGili GOIDE, 

Or^ Conj Tiling Made Easy. 

Nnni'irons books have been published pro- 
fessing' to veach the Art of Magic, but, without 
exception, they have proved a delusion, being 
merely a compilation of disconnected experi- 
ments, crften to the discouragement aud disgust 
of the aspirant. 

This work is written by a celebrated Magician, 
prompted with the honest desire to instruct those 
who wish to be initiated into the depths and 
mysteries of his art. By a series of le8«(jns, aided 
by illustrations, he has thoroughly explained and 
elucidated the principles of the science, and takes 
the learner through the whole field of 

Ma§;ic, Legerdemain & Pr^tif^itation) 

includinig^ Tricks in Galvcinlam, 

Slagnetism and Ejlcctricityi 

It gives full and explicit directions for con- 
ducting an evening's entertainment, with a series 
of tricks and performances especially adapted for 
the amateur. 

Any one who desires to be the sought and 
honored guest at every party, amusement or en- 
tertainment, should not fail to possess this book, 
by which he can become, in a short time, a-s 
marvelous and mysterious as any of the great 
magicians and conjurors of the day. 

Illustrated.— Price 25 Cents. 



Copies of the above Books sent by Mail to any address on receipt ^^ .Price. 



ii 



NEW AND INDISPENSABLE MANUALS. 

Th© ^Magnet' Hand-Books. 



519 



These Books are the very best ever issued upon the various subjects of which they treat. Each vol- 
ume is complete and perfect, and thoroughly practical. Each Book contains 100 pages large 12mo, 
well printed, and bound in handsome illuminated covers. 

PRICE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS EACH. 



PARLOR PASTIMES; 

OR, 

THE WHOLE ART OF AMUSING, 

For Pu'ulic or Private Entertainuients. 

An entirely new work by the celebrated Profes- 
sor RAYMOND, on 
MAGIC, COXJURIIVG, LEGERDEMAIN 
Aiy^ PKESXIDIGITATION. 



It is a complete expose of the Wizard's Art. 
No trick or illusion of importance is lelt unno- 
ticed, and the instructions and e.vplunations are 
so simple and exhauftive that a child could per- 
form them. This Book tlioront.''hly i-lucidates and 
explains all the mysteries and wonders associated 
with 



BL/VCK MAGIC, 
WHITE MAGIC, 
NATURAL MAGIC, 
GALVANISM, 
LEGERDEMAIN, 
ELECTRICITY, 



ALCHEMY, 
JUGGLERY, 
SLEIGHT OF HAND, 
NECROMANCY, 
CARTOMANCY, 
CHEMISTRY, 



PRESTIDIGITATION. 

It tells how to make, operate, and perform 
with 

Coins, Cards, Fireworks, Mechanical Devices, 

and Magnetic Cantrivances. 

The Book also contains a large collection of 

RISDLCS, CONUNDRUMS, CHARADES, ENIGMAS, TRANS- 
POSITIONS, REBUSSES. PUZZLES, ACCROSTICS, 
ANAQRAMS, PARADOXES & PROBLEMS. 
A study of this interesting work would make 
anyone thoroughly expert in amusing either a 
public or private audience. — Price li.5 Cents. 

How to Write a Letter, 

A COMPLETE LETTER WKITEB, 

FOR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. 



This Book is not a collection of letters and 
examiiles. as is generally the case with all '• Com- 
plete Letter Writers" now in use, but it is a book 
which iKtnally tells how to write a letter upon 
any subject out of the writers' "own head." It 
gives much very necessary information relating 
to 

PUNCTUATION, SPELLINQ, GRAMMAR, WRITING FOR THE 

PRESS, LEGAL IMPORTANCE OF LETTERS, LOVE, 

COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 

It also contains the Art of Rapid Writing, 

by the abbreviation of longhand, and a 

DICTIOyART OF ABIiREVIATIONS. 

Tills Book !■» worth its weij:ht in gold to all. 
No one can fail to be benefited by some of the 
information it cm tains. It contains all the points 
and leatures tliat are in other Letter-Writers, with 
very much that is new, orifrinal, and very impor- 
tant, and which cannot be }:ot in any other boot. 
Price 25 Cents. 



THE AMERICAN BOOK OF 

GENTEEL BEHAVIOR, 

A complete Ilanil-Book of Modern Etiquette, 

FOR LADIEg AND CESTLE MEM. 

A perusal of this work will enable every one to 
rub off the rough busks of ill-breeding and iicg- 
lectcv! education, and substitute lor them gentle- 
manly ease, and graceful, ladylike deportment, 
(as the case may be), so that their presence will 
be sought for, and they will not only learn that 
great art of being thoroughly at home in all socie- 
ties, but will have tlie rarer gi it 01 making every- 
body around them feel easy, contented and happy. 
This work is fully up to the requirements of the 
times; it describes the etiquete of our very best 
society. 

It teaches, (what all should learn):— 
How to enter a room, and how to leave it. — 
How to accost or notice Ladies or Gentle- 
men in the Street. — How 'o Dress well, and 
yet not garishly. — How to give and receive 
Introductions. — What kind of Cards to have, 
and how to present or send them. — The pro- 
per mode of giving Presents. — How to shake 
hands and bid good-bye — How to begin, 
conduct, and end a Conversation. — How to 
accompany acquaintances on the Prome- 
nade.— How to seek a Partner in the Dance, 
or how to decline an Invitation — How to 
behave at Dinners, either as Host or Guest. 
How to behave during Courtship and Mar- 
riage. — How to 'play the affable' at Cbuich, 
at Parties, &:c. 

Gel at once this greatest Band-Book of Modem 
EHqaette. — Price ^5 Ce«\ts. 

PERSONAL BEAUTY; 

OB, THE WHOLE ART OF ATTAINING 

BODILY Vigor, physi'^al development, beauty 

OF feature AND SYMMETRY OF FORM, 

WITH THE SCIENCE OF 

Dressing with Tasta, Elegance & Economy. 

To those to whom Nature has been sparing in 
its gifts, suggestions are here offered that will 
enable them to overcome these defects, and to 
become beautiful, elegant and graceful, and to be 
admired and sought after by the oppo>ile sex. 

Among numerous other matters, it tells;— 

How to Improve the Complexion.— Make Cos- 
metics.— Remove Freckles.— Make the Eyes 
Beautiful.— Cause the Eye-lashes and Brows 
to grow long.— Prevent the Hair falliiig oif. 
Prevent Grey Hair.— Cause the Beard and 
Moustache to grow— Cure Baldness— Remove 
superfluous Hair.— Preserve the Teeth— Cure 
Toothache— Have White Hands— Cure Corns- 
Cure Pimples — Invigorate the System — In- 
crease the Memory— Prolong Life— Cure Ner- 
vous Ailments — Increase the Vital Forces- 
Produce Physical Vigor, etc., etc. 
It gives a vast amount of other equally impor- 
tant information, which cannot be enumeiated 
liiiTe.— Illustrated. — Price 25 Cents. 



y^ 



k 



Copies of the above Books sent by Mail to any address on receipt of price. 
Address HURST & CO., 122 Nassau St. New York. 



<««::... -^i 















-<Z1 <C<: yi '<C, 






<S'^ 



<C- <J^S^ 












it 

































fee- <<£^ 
_: c: <^ <l 

<C1 <aC ^ 


















, < CC<C <C 

'- ^ tc/cc*;- < - _ 

<■ .. <<:< <3L- <^ 

<^ , <• «:•£:<:_<, . O 

. ■ ■;■ €.'Cv. < > c<:C'^. 
<^5^..<__ ^ CCS <<C ' 

<> <:. ^ <- ' 

-^ " cat. <s«C^,. 



<^ 4:<^ ^ <^ « 

cl <-<^ -<& <^ ' *^^ 
-<£ «:<-.-"<£- <:- <!* 









■^ri' <<c 



•<c«i. «. ^ 









CMC Cf '• 

-^ <r c 





















<:.:.c- ■ — 






C«^C_c <ic 






^ -^c <Z cC • 

^ -^"'cccr ^:.. 






V^^V. — "--^_ <j«>=t <Sfer<c. 

C..C « <^^c:: <i-^ "^S- 









^M. *^^V<c^ <<<^'Se'5 ^ 






—( C - *!«. <- «^< ^' 

^ \c'c <: ^«. c 'c ^ 
^c«str«: ccc'C-.< ' cc« 

"<<? CL. C C'-C ' cr- 

>. <i. «!.<<: < <> 
:>< fi <L C C fC <'< 
li' ^"^'^ <1 CO «. 

. ^z' ocsrx^. :'C<^ c: cc c<..-l 

<i: <:;<3L •:<3 ''<s: c: c< cc< 

«c: <:<iC^<L <?:^^ c: cc cc< 

<i <jc< «cz^«SL c cc cCC 

< CC <r cc a 









CO.O o 



cc « 



■ C':'<C' 
t C.ax., 

c<- ^' 



C <<<L 



' <. c. <r<c < 
^^ c 

^ >- <^c<K:.c 
< C CccXjC. 

c cL<:^ 

c C <<' 



o <yc- "^ V V 



CC'CC^'' 












